While the push to mandate EVs aims to reduce tailpipe emissions such as carbon dioxide — the federal government has set a target of complete EV adoption by 2035 — swapping every vehicle on the road still won’t eliminate all the sources of air pollution that can impact human health. That’s because brake pads, rotors and tires grind down over time and erode. This results in tons of particulate matter, such as heavy metals and microplastics, polluting the air. “Millions of tires being driven on the road breaking down — that’s a problem,” says Matt Adams (UTM Geography, Geomatics and Environment). “It’s an emerging question in the field: it’s hard to know where the particles end up.” The researchers hope the study will improve methods of gathering vehicle pollution data. “At the end of it, we’re hoping to have better methods to be able to say how much is coming from tailpipe and how much is non-tailpipe, and how do we identify hot spots”
