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Despite the fact that authorities have regulated the metal content of
auto parts and the fact that the auto industry has tried to make
improvements, brake linings and tires are still among the major
sources of metals in urban environments.
The study compares estimated metal emissions from brake linings and
tires for the years 1995/1998 and 2005. The release of copper and zinc
from brake linings has remained unchanged over this period.
"It is gratifying to see that efforts to remove cadmium and lead from
auto products have yielded results, with decreased emissions as a
result," says Professor Bo Bergb�ck.
It was also shown that there are now large quantities of the metal
antimony in brake linings, which is among the newer metals whose use
has increased in society in the last few years (cf. the element
platinum in catalytic converters). It was also revealed that, despite
their lower metal content, tires are one of the major sources of zinc
and cadmium in cities.
The study, published in one of the journals of the American Chemical
Society, Environmental Science & Technology, has created quite a stir,
above all in the United States.
"The study presents findings that are not entirely favorable for a
nation that has the highest number of vehicles registered per
inhabitant in the world," says David Hjortenkrans. More stringent
control of emissions might substantially hamper the mobility of many
people.
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