Disc and drum brakes used only two types of friction materials—semimetallic and asbestos. The mechanic simply replaced the old pad or shoe with the same type. Aftermarket suppliers rarely ...

However, the amount of dust produced in most situations will depend a lot on the type of brake pad you have. Ideally, you'll want brake pads that don't produce a lot of dust, so you don't need to ...

A study by the University of Southampton (UK) has found microscopic particles emitted from certain types of commonly fitted brake pads can be more toxic than those found in diesel vehicle exhaust.