Particulate Emissions From Motor Vehicles

Non-exhaust emissions of particulate matter constitute a little-known but rising share of emissions from road traffic and have significant negative impacts on public health. This report synthesizes the current state of knowledge about the nature, causes, and consequences of non-exhaust particulate emissions. It also projects how particulate matter emissions from non-exhaust sources may evolve in future years and reflects on policy instrument mixes that can address this largely ignored environmental issue.

All tailpipes emit a wide variety of liquid- and solid-phase particles. They are omnipresent; but being small and in trace quantities, they are usually emitted unseen - we become aware of them only through the visible testimony of smoke. Particulate emissions engender serious ramifications for public health, amenity and the wider environment. Historically it is diesel engines that have been singled out for stricture, but today this makes less sense, as their particulate emissions are now approaching parity with gasoline engines. For 30 years, the legal requirement has been solely to reduce the total mass of particles emitted, but mass as a toxological indicator is being increasingly questioned, with other metrics proposed, such as: particle size, number and composition. This shift of perspective has far-reaching repercussions for the automotive industry, because new ways of characterising and controlling emissions of particulate will have to be sought. This book aims to distil all the available informatiion into a single treatise.

By the year 2000 the world vehicle population is predicted to be about 686 million, and in the United Kingdom transport consumes over 30 million tonnes of fuel a year.

Contributions by Surhid Gautam and Lit-Mian Chan. This book presents a state-of-the art review of vehicle emission standards and regulations and provides a synthesis of worldwide experience with vehicle emission control technologies and their applications in both industrial and developing countries. Topics covered include: * The two principal international systems of vehicle emission standards: those of North America and Europe * Test procedures used to verify compliance with emissions standards and to estimate actual emissions * Engine and aftertreatment technologies that have been developed to enable new vehicles to comply with emission standards, as well as the cost and other impacts of these technologies * An evaluation of measures for controlling emissions from in-use vehicles * The role of fuels in reducing vehicle emissions, the benefits that could be gained by reformulating conventional gasoline and diesel fuels, the potential benefits of alternative cleaner fuels, and the prospects for using hydrogen and electric power to run motor vehicles with ultra-low or zero emissions. This book is the first in a series of publications on vehicle-related pollution and control measures prepared by the World Bank in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme to underpin the Bank's overall objective of promoting transport that is environmentally sustainable and least damaging to human health and welfare.

This book focuses on particulate matter emissions produced by vehicles with combustion engines. It describes the physicochemical properties of the particulate matter, the mechanisms of its formation and its environmental impacts (including those on human beings). It discusses methods for measuring particulate mass and number, including the state-of-the-art in Portable Emission Measurement System (PEMS) equipment for measuring the exhaust emissions of both light and heavy-duty vehicles and buses under actual operating conditions. The book presents the authors’ latest investigations into the relations between particulate emission (mass and number) and engine operating parameters, as well as their new findings obtained through road tests performed on various types of vehicles, including those using diesel particulate filter regeneration. The book, which addresses the needs of academics and professionals alike, also discusses relevant European regulations on particulate emissions and highlights selected methods aimed at the reduction of particulate emissions from automobiles.

Non-Exhaust Emissions: An Urban Air Quality Problem for Public Health comprehensively summarizes the most recent research in the field, also giving guidance on research gaps and future needs to evaluate the health impact and possible remediation of non-exhaust particle emissions. With contributions from some of the major experts and stakeholders in air quality, this book comprehensively defines the state-of-the-art of current knowledge, gaps and future needs for a better understanding of particulate matter (PM) emissions, from non-exhaust sources of road traffic to improve public health. PM is a heterogeneous mix of chemical elements and sources, with road traffic being the major source in large cities. A significant part of these emissions come from non-exhaust processes, such as brake, tire, road wear, and road dust resuspension. While motor exhaust emissions have been successfully reduced by means of regulation, non-exhaust emissions are currently uncontrolled and their importance is destined to increase and become the dominant urban source of particle matter by 2020. Nevertheless, current knowledge on the non-exhaust emissions is still limited. This is an essential book to researchers and advanced students from a broad range of disciplines, such as public health, toxicology, atmospheric sciences, environmental sciences, atmospheric chemistry and physics, geochemistry, epidemiology, built environment, road and vehicle engineering, and city planning. In addition, European and local authorities responsible for air quality and those in the industrial sectors related to vehicle and brake manufacturing and technological remediation measures will also find the book valuable. Acts as the first book to explore the health impacts of non-exhaust emissions Authored by experts from several sectors, including academia, industry and policy Gathers the relevant body of literature and information, defining the current knowledge, gaps and future needs

The main source of particulates and nitrogen oxides in Hong Kong is attributable to goods vehicles and to a lesser extent buses; taxis and private cars contribute only a small fraction of these pollutants, even in densely populated areas or urban canyons. The growing volume of vehicle traffic between Hong Kong and China contributes to increasing the level of vehicle emissions found in the territory. These findings have important implications for both environmental and transport policies.