The vehicle braking systems as main source of inhalable airborne magnetite particles in trafficked areas.

Magnetite (FeO) nano-particles (MNPs) have been found in human tissues and causally linked to serious illnesses. The possible negative role of MNPs has been not still fully ascertained even though MNPs might cause health effects due to their magnetic property, redox activity and surface charge. The origin of MNPs in human tissues still remains to be unambiguously identified since biological processes, natural phenomena and anthropogenic production have been proposed.