Abstract
Tailpipe emissions have declined dramatically in response to regulator efforts over many decades. However, non-tailpipe exhaust emissions (NTP) associated with brake and tire wear as well as resuspended road dust remain, and indeed may increase with the increase in usage of heavier vehicles. EV’s are thus not ZEVs, but rather zero exhaust emission vehicles (ZEEV). In order to assess the environmental impacts, it is essential to identify and quantify the emissions associated with NTP. A collaborative group in AirUCI has studied emissions from brake wear using a dynamometer from a repurposed lathe in our machine shop, and has identified a complex suite of gases and particles from braking. The air quality and climate implications of these emissions will be discussed in the context of providing a predictive basis for assessing the magnitude and impacts of brake wear particles.
Barbara Finlayson-Pitts is a UCI Distinguished Professor Emerita and Professor of Chemistry Recalled at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). She was the founder and currently co-directs AirUCI, a collaborative involving 33 faculty from 5 schools and 8 departments on campus. Her research has focused on a number of important reactions that impact air quality, health and climate, especially those involving the formation, growth and reactions of particles. A current interest is non-tailpipe emissions from vehicle brakes and tires. She has coauthored more than 220 scientific publications and two books in the area of atmospheric chemistry. Dr. Finlayson-Pitts’ research has been recognized by a number of awards including the American Chemistry Society Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science & Technology and the Environment Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.