Brake Pad Dust and Heavy Metal Emissions (Cadmium, Chromium, Antimony from Friction Materials, Urban Roadside Exposure) — household safety profile
Moderate riskBrake pad wear generates fine particulate matter containing a cocktail of heavy metals — cadmium, hexavalent chromium, antimony, copper, barium, and zinc — that constitute a major source of urban non-exhaust traffic emissions.
What is this product?
Brake pad wear generates fine particulate matter containing a cocktail of heavy metals — cadmium, hexavalent chromium, antimony, copper, barium, and zinc — that constitute a major source of urban non-exhaust traffic emissions. Studies by Grigoratos and Martini (2015) at the European Commission Joint Research Centre found that brake wear contributes 16-55% of total traffic-related PM10 in urban areas, with approximately 50% of brake pad mass loss becoming airborne particles. Semi-metallic brake pads contain 10-30% iron, 5-15% copper, 1-5% antimony trisulfide (lubricant), and trace cadmium and chromium from steel fiber additives. Brake pad temperatures during normal braking reach 200-400 degrees Celsius, with emergency stops exceeding 600 degrees Celsius — sufficient to volatilize cadmium (boiling point 767C) and oxidize chromium to hexavalent form. The WHO identifies cadmium as a Group 1 carcinogen (IARC) with no safe threshold for renal toxicity. Washington State enacted SB 6557 (2010) banning copper in brake pads (>5% by 2021, >0.5% by 2025), but no equivalent restrictions exist for cadmium, chromium, or antimony in friction materials.
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Contaminant
Functional Additive
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