Predicting the Regional Air Quality Impacts of Diesel Fuel Additives Containing Nano-Scale Cerium Compounds

GARNET ERDAKOS (1), Prakash Bhave (1), Heather Simon (1), George Pouliot (1)

(1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

     Abstract Number: 768
     Last modified: May 14, 2010

Abstract
Diesel engines are a significant source of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NO$_x), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions. Fuel additives containing nano-scale cerium (nCe) compounds are employed to reduce PM emitted by diesel engines, and have been shown to alter the emissions of NO$_x, CO, VOCs, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Widespread use of nCe-based fuel additives may therefore have substantial implications for local and regional air quality. The potential impact on regional air quality is evaluated using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model by comparing predicted criteria air pollutant, VOC, and HAP concentrations for standard emissions inputs with those modified based on available measurements from heavy-duty diesel engines using nCe fuel additives. Available data are also used to predict ambient concentrations of Ce due to emission of the fuel additives in diesel exhaust. Using CMAQ version 4.7 with multi-pollutant chemistry capability, air quality for one winter and one summer month in the eastern U.S. domain during 2005 is simulated to consider impacts of nCe-based fuel additives. Future work will investigate the impacts of these fuel additives in the near-roadway environment.