Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters

Re:Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in Calif... by likpok on Wednesday October 02, 2019 @02:24PM (#21139316)

Ford was shipping cars with asbestos brakes in 1993. Asbestos brakes are still readily available on the aftermarket.

Brake pads since 2015 sold in California and Washington must have less than 0.1% asbestos by weight (it's unclear to me if that's asbestos alone, or asbestos and other heavy metals like cadmium or mercury). Since the ban was put into place in 2015, you can reasonably infer a) that there were brake pads above that limit in 2014 and b) there are brake pads slightly under that limit today.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in Calif... by dajohnson89 on Wednesday October 02, 2019 @02:32PM (#21139407)

the subway brakes in washington dc are abestos brakes. you can smell them quite strongly.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in Calif... by kleton on Wednesday October 02, 2019 @02:51PM (#21139587)

Can you really smell asbestos? I can't imagine silicate rock having a very high vapour pressure.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in Calif... by rootusrootus on Wednesday October 02, 2019 @04:32PM (#21140463)

That is not correct. WMATA hasn't used asbestos brake pads in many years. Whatever you think you smell, that's not it

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in Calif... by dsfyu404ed on Wednesday October 02, 2019 @05:12PM (#21140779)

Considering the smell from brakes in subways and freight rail yards is the same as burned brakes and clutches on modern vehicles (which do not use asbestos) I am going to need a citation for that.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in Calif... by undersuit on Wednesday October 02, 2019 @03:55PM (#21140169)

In 1980?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1980/11/11/late...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in Calif... by robocat on Friday October 04, 2019 @08:06AM (#21156747)

"Asbestos was used on Metro's cars when they first started running in 1976, but only a few of the asbestos pads remain in service." - written in 1980 in Washington Post - see link in sibling comment.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in Calif... by nathancahill on Wednesday October 02, 2019 @02:41PM (#21139485)

Huh, TIL. Never knew what that smell was.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in Calif... by undersuit on Wednesday October 02, 2019 @03:57PM (#21140183)

Something's fishy: http://unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com/2012/01/whats-that-foul-sm...

[ Parent | on HN ]