Cars and other vehicles are a great source of pollution, not just due to their exhaust fumes. Your car’s tires and brakes contribute substantially to particulates in the air. In turn, these parts, even in electric vehicles, contribute to health problems and climate change. How do tires and brakes create pollution? The pollution comes from the wear and tear of these parts over time. The dust from tires and brakes can make up particulate matter in the air, both visible and invisible to the eye, that we then inhale. … In some ways, tire dust is more potent than tailpipe emission. In 2020, a study found that tire chemicals may have contributed to several salmon deaths in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.