American Association for Aerosol Research - Abstract Submission

AAAR 32nd Annual Conference
September 30 - October 4, 2013
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, Oregon, USA

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Comparison of Gasoline and Diesel Vehicles - Emission Factors of Volatile Organic Compounds from EURO5 Diesel and Gasoline Vehicles and Their Potential Integrated Influence on Air Quality

STIG HELLEBUST, Brice Temime-Roussel, Amelie Bertrand, Stephen Platt, Imad El Haddad, Simone Pieber, Alessandro Zardini, Ricardo Suarez-Bertoa, Jay Slowik, Ru-Jin Huang, Covadonga Astorga, Andre Prévôt, Nicolas Marchand, Aix Marseille Université, Laboratoire Chimie Environnement

     Abstract Number: 166
     Working Group: Aerosol Chemistry

Abstract
Volatile Organic Compounds, VOCs, including nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and oxygenated VOCs, are emitted from a wide range of sources, such as solvents, industrial combustion, petroleum vapour and biogenic sources. Vehicle exhaust is recognised as a significant source of VOCs in urban areas, and therefore is under strict regulatory control.

Furthermore, VOC emissions can impact on other air quality parameters, such as particulate matter (PM), because chemical reactions of VOCs in the atmosphere can produce PM in the form of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) through gas-to-particle formation processes.

We present VOC emission factors from modern gasoline and diesel vehicles compliant with the latest European emission standard (Euro 5). The vehicles were tested during the New European Driving Cycle, at 295K and 263K at a purpose built vehicle emissions test laboratory (VELA) of the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra, Italy. Subsequent chemical processing of the VOC emissions was studied in a smog chamber at the two different temperatures and at 40% and 90% relative humidity.

The experiments have shown that primary VOC emissions from the gasoline cars tested were typically higher in aromatic compounds, while primary VOC emissions from the diesel vehicles contained higher levels of oxidised hydrocarbons.

We compare different fuels and vehicle technologies in terms of primary VOC emission, and investigate how differences in VOC composition of modern gasoline and diesel vehicles influence atmospheric processing, including SOA formation. We also discuss the total integrated effects of VOC emissions from modern vehicle technologies on local air quality.

This work was financed by Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie (ADEME).

The test facility experiments were provided by the European Commission.