London - So-called ‘green’ cars produce more toxic particle pollution than diesel vehicles because they weigh much more, scientists have found.
Tiny particles of brake dust, rubber from tyres and bitumen whipped up from the road surface can have serious effects on health, particularly among people who already have respiratory problems.
All cars produce this particle pollution when they accelerate and brake. But hybrid and electric cars, designed to be eco-friendly, typically weigh 24 percent more than other vehicles because of the batteries and parts needed to power them, scientists found.
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Researchers say that the tyres and brakes on green cars wear down faster – sending more particles into the air – while at the same time they whip up more dust and fragments off road surfaces. So while their engine emissions are lower, the extra weight they carry means they produce worse particle pollution than ‘dirtier’ petrol or diesel cars.
Policy rethink urged
Peter Achten, author of the study, is now urging governments to rethink their policies on so-called eco cars.
Mr Achten, whose research is published in the journal Atmospheric Environment, said: “We found that non-exhaust emissions, from brakes, tyres and the road, are far larger than exhaust emissions in all modern cars. These are more toxic than emissions from modern engines so they are likely to be key factors in the extra heart attacks, strokes and asthma attacks seen when air pollution levels surge,” he told the Sunday Times
The World Health Organisation said particle pollution from all sources caused about 16 percent of lung cancer deaths and 11 per cent of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
But a Department for Transport spokesman said eco-vehicles still offered huge benefits in cutting carbon monoxide emissions.
Daily Mail