Transport-related emissions are a leading contributor to urban air pollution, posing significant challenges to public health, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. This presentation discusses the MItigating TRansport-related Air Pollution in Europe (MI-TRAP) project, a HORIZON EUROPE Innovation Action, that seeks to address these challenges through advanced monitoring technologies, citizen science methodologies, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based policymaking. Implemented across ten European City Pilots, MI-TRAP establishes a robust framework for reducing transport-related air pollution in diverse urban settings.
A cornerstone of MI-TRAP is the International Living Lab (ILL), a collaborative platform designed to engage stakeholders in co-creating and validating solutions for transport-related air pollution. The ILL comprises three sequential workshops, each targeting to drive stakeholder-led innovation. The first workshop establishes the ILL's objectives, gathers insights into local air quality challenges, and documents stakeholder concerns and community needs, ensuring the diverse contexts of each City Pilot are well-represented. This process lays a strong foundation for international collaboration. The second workshop focuses on validating solutions developed across MI-TRAP’s work packages, including technical innovations, epidemiological findings, and nature-based strategies, ensuring their feasibility in real-world urban environments. The third workshop translates these validated solutions into actionable, evidence-based policy recommendations for stakeholders and policymakers.
This presentation analyses the outcomes of the first ILL workshop (19 February 2024), underscoring the critical role of stakeholder engagement in fostering collaboration among policymakers, researchers, and civil society. By integrating localised data and innovative approaches, the workshop addressed air quality challenges tailored to the unique urban contexts of the City Pilots. MI-TRAP’s stakeholder-driven methodology aligns with broader EU objectives, such as the Zero Pollution Action Plan, illustrating how participatory processes bridge the gap between emissions data and effective policy interventions. By highlighting the insights and strategies derived from the ILL, this presentation emphasises the transformative potential of stakeholder collaboration in addressing transport-related air pollution. The outcomes showcase how co-created solutions can lead to cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable urban environments across Europe, advancing the integration of science, policy, and community action.
How to cite: Chatzinakos, G., Tseva, G., Balatsoukas, A., Tyligada, I., Zachariadou, A., Adamos, G., and Laspidou, C.: Advancing Collaborative Solutions to Transport-Related Air Pollution: Insights from the MI-TRAP Project, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1780, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1780, 2025.
During personal exposure monitoring, short-term peaks, or “spikes”, in pollutant concentration, were observed frequently in proximity to the local pollution sources, especially road traffic. This phenomenon may influence the overall exposure. The current study examined spikes in particle number concentration (PNC) to differentiate local from background contributions by eliminating spikes from the personal exposure dataset.
Personal exposures were measured on 33 walking trips alongside major and minor roads between 20th May and 26th June 2024, in a heavily populated residential area close to the University of Birmingham. A portable miniature particle counter (Testo DiSCmini) was carried in a backpack, measuring particle number concentration with a high temporal resolution of 1 second. Particle Number Count data (10-100nm) were also collected with a reference-grade instrument (Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS)) at a local urban background air quality monitoring station.
The time series of PNC contained short-term excursions (spikes) to higher concentrations. There were several steps involved in removing the spikes from the dataset including baseline calculation, spike identification and removal, and background data interpolation. The first step was done using a moving median with 10 minutes average before and after all data points. Secondly, a threshold i.e., 10% of the baseline was chosen which can capture spikes optimally based on visual observation. Data above the threshold was subsequently identified as spikes and excluded from the data set. Finally, the edited background data was interpolated using a linear method.
The results show that roughly 25% (by time) of the walking data was categorized as short-term peaks. Removal resulted in a reduction of the overall average PNC by nearly 19%. Temporal variation according to weekday/weekend and period of the day revealed a decline in average PNC ranges of 12-34%, with the most significant fall of 34% occurring during weekday mornings (MWD), due to a substantial number of PNC spikes observed during this period. PNC measured during walking was scaled to SMPS-equivalent values using data from an instrument intercomparison and was compared to urban background SMPS data during measurement. It was shown that the average of corrected de-peaked PNC from walking (11801±8357 #/cm³) was 9% higher than that recorded in the urban background (10816±6711 #/cm³). Local diffuse sources are probably responsible for this higher concentration, while the spikes appear to be due to road traffic emissions and locally operating sources such as off-road mobile machinery.
By separating short-term peak concentrations from personal exposure monitoring data, the data indicate that limiting pollutant hotspots, especially in areas with high population density, may reduce exposure to pollutants, particularly those with significant geographical and temporal variability such as ultrafine particles (UFP).
How to cite: Harrison, R. M., Damayanti, S., Bousiotis, D., Baruah, A., and Pope, F. D.: Analysing High Resolution Ultrafine Particle Count Data to Differentiate Local Road Traffic from Background Contributions to Personal Exposure, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8815, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8815, 2025.
On-road vehicles are an important source of atmospheric particulate matter (PM), producing both primary aerosol and gas-phase precursors, which react in the atmosphere and lead to the formation of secondary aerosol. Over the past 50 years, the emissions from the exhaust of passenger cars have been thoroughly studied, on the contrary, other on-road vehicles, like mopeds, buses, and heavy-duty vehicles, have received less attention. Moreover, as regulatory measures reduce the concentrations of primary aerosol emitted from on-road vehicles, the significance of the gas-phase precursors increases. The aim of this study is to assess both the overall effect of different on-road vehicle types on particle mass concentrations over Europe, as well as the specific role of volatile and intermediate volatility organic compounds to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). To achieve this, the results of the EASVOLEE (Effects on Air Quality of Semi-VOLatile Engine Emissions) emission characterization campaigns were used to update PMCAMx inputs and parameterizations. The three-dimensional chemical transport model was used to simulate a summer month (July 2019) in Europe. The contribution of different vehicle types to the total PM2.5 and to the concentrations of primary and secondary OA. The model simulations provide insights about the significance of specific volatile and intermediated volatility compounds emitted from on-road vehicles over Europe.
How to cite: Manavi, S.-E., Skyllakou, K., Siouti, E., and Pandis, S.: Atmospheric aerosol from on-road transport in Europe: The role of different vehicle types, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5879, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5879, 2025.
Keywords: Air quality, vehicle emissions, semi-volatile organic compounds, chemical composition.
Vehicle emissions significantly affect air quality, particularly through the release of particulate matter (PM), which pose severe health risks such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases1. The world health organization (WHO) has updated guidelines to restrict exposure to these pollutants2. Traditional emission models often overlook semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and intermediate-volatility organic compounds (IVOCs), which play crucial roles in forming secondary organic aerosols (SOAs)3. These compounds contribute to the formation of fine particulate matter (PM) and can have significant health implications due to their ability to penetrate deep into the respiratory system4.
This study investigates the impact of the emissions coming from various automotive vehicles on air quality, with a specific focus on semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) measured across different real driving conditions, including urban, rural, and highway. A number of advanced on-line analytical instruments were used to gain a detailed understanding on the emitted compounds. The particle concentration and its distribution size, using a TSI EEPS 3090 and the Horiba OBS ONE SPN23 and SPN10, meanwhile the gas phase analysis was carried out using a Horiba FTX. In addition to real-time measurements, a novel collection system was developed to capture tailpipe emissions as a function of vehicle speed. Those various speed conditions dependent emissions, condensed in liquid phase through a cooling process, were subsequently analyzed offline using an UPLC-Orbitrap-MS. The compounds identified were then classified according to their volatility using the Volatility Basis Set (VBS)5.
The relationship between the molecular mass of the emitted compounds and their volatility, based on the engine speed during various test drives was established, providing deeper insights into car emissions of SVOCs and IVOCs.
These findings are important for enhancing the accuracy of air quality models and developing targeted strategies to reduce pollution.
References
1 Hussain M, Madl P, Khan A (2011), Part-I. Health 2(2):51–59.
2 World Health Organization (2021), Geneva, World Health Organization.
3 Robinson AL, Donahue NM, Shrivastava MK, Weitkamp EA, Sage AM, Grieshop AP, Lane TE, Pierce JR, Pandis SN (2007), Science 315(5816):1259–1262.
4 Sun J, Shen ZX, Zhang T, Kong SF, Zhang HA, Zhang Q, Niu XY, Huang SS, Xu HM, Ho KF, Cao JJ (2022), Environmental International 165:107344.
5 Li Y, Pöschl U, Shiraiwa M (2016), Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 16(6):3327-3344.
How to cite: Jabbari-Hichri, A., Azizi, Y., Guiot, B., Boreave, A., and George, C.: Vehicle emissions under real driving conditions: investigating the impact of semi-volatile compounds on air quality, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-3097, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3097, 2025.
INTRODUCTION
Real Driving Emissions (RDE) methods are essential for assessing the environmental performance of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), which differ significantly from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles due to their dual powertrain systems. These systems have different operating modes, either prioritizing electric power (in this case Automatic mode) or balancing ICE use to maintain battery state of charge (SOCH; here Hybrid mode), which influence emission profiles. Such distinctions necessitate tailored RDE testing to capture emissions under real-world conditions accurately.
This study focuses on two PHEVs: one equipped with a gasoline engine (PHEVG) and the other with a diesel engine (PHEVD).
Gaseous and particulate emissions were quantified to assess the effects of temperature, powertrain type, and driving mode.
METHODS
Emissions of gaseous compounds—carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), total hydrocarbons (THC), and particle number (PN)—were measured in both on-road RDE and laboratory conditions. Tests were conducted at -9°C, 23°C, and 35°C to simulate varying driving environments. To ensure comparable testing, a "golden" on-road RDE test was used to develop the laboratory-based RDEsim cycle. This custom cycle was executed on a chassis dynamometer. The study investigated PHEVG and PHEVD, capturing emissions in both AUTOMATIC and HYBRID driving modes for PHEVG and COMFORT mode for PHEVD under consistent SOCH levels.
RESULTS
Emission patterns varied significantly between the two PHEVs under different temperatures and driving modes. CO2 emissions increased at -9°C, with PHEVD consistently achieving lower levels due to the efficiency of the diesel technology. AUTOMATIC mode for PHEVG emphasized electric power, reducing fuel consumption but increasing energy use, while HYBRID mode prioritized SOCH stability with more frequent internal combustion engine usage. NOx emissions were minimal for PHEVG but rose for PHEVD in colder conditions. Both vehicles showed elevated THC and PN emissions at -9°C, with diesel-powered PHEVD maintaining lower PN levels overall due to advanced filtration systems. These results underscore the impact of driving modes and environmental conditions on emission behaviours.
CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates the distinct emission characteristics of PHEVG and PHEVD across varying conditions. AUTOMATIC mode favored electric power utilization, leading to reduced tailpipe emissions but increased electric energy consumption. HYBRID mode offered consistent SOCH management, relying more on the internal combustion engine, which increased emissions.
Colder temperatures (-9°C) had the most pronounced effect, significantly elevating CO2, NOx, and THC emissions for both vehicles. Diesel-powered PHEVD consistently outperformed PHEVG in CO2 and PN emissions, showcasing the advantages of diesel technology under diverse conditions.
The findings underscore the need for tailored RDE testing methods to reflect the unique operational behaviours of PHEVs. By accounting for driving mode, temperature, and powertrain type, this study contributes to improving emission standards and ensuring accurate assessment of plug-in hybrid vehicles in real-world scenarios.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101096133 (PAREMPI: Particle emission prevention and impact: from real-world emissions of traffic to secondary PM of urban air).
How to cite: Honkisz, W., Bielaczyc, P., Szczotka, A., Klimkiewicz, D., Aakko-Saksa, P., Järvinen, A., Rönkkö, T., Kylämäki, K., Jäppi, M., Salo, L., Lepisto, T., Asgher, R., Timonen, H., Rissanen, M., Barreira, L., Aurela, M., Červená, T., Vojtisek, M., and Topinka, J.: Plug-In Hybrid Light-Duty vehicle emission measurements over custom RDE test cycle on the road and in the various laboratory conditions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6117, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6117, 2025.
The AEROSOLS project aims to define robust and transparent measurement and modelling methodologies to quantify the currently disregarded volatile/semi-volatile (V/S-V) primary and secondary emissions, assess their associated risks, and propose technological and legislative monitoring and abating mechanisms to help improve air quality and public health. This work will present the overall methodology utilized to extensively assess the regulated and unregulated, gaseous and particulate, emissions from the vehicles.
The project includes two comprehensive vehicle-level experimental campaigns during which the primary and secondary emissions of two state-of-the-art Euro 6 sport utility vehicles (SUV) will be assessed, both on a chassis dynamometer under controlled conditions and on open roads under winter and summer conditions.
During the Real Driving Emissions (RDE) experiments on roads, the vehicles will be equipped with a Proton-Transfer-Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) in addition to the standard Portable Emission Measurement System (PEMS). This allows extended characterization of the emitted gaseous compounds beyond the current Euro 6 protocol, with a particular focus on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). In the laboratory, the emissions from the vehicles will be evaluated under standard driving conditions using the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC) and under more realistic conditions reproducing the RDE trips previously characterized on roads. In addition to the standard devices used for the Euro 6 testing, the experimental protocol will include additional instruments to comprehensively assess the emissions of unregulated organic and inorganic gaseous compounds, and aerosols characteristics, e.g., particle number (PN) down to 1 nm.
Thanks to these complementary evaluations and extensive protocols, the AEROSOLS project will achieve a better understanding of vehicles’ primary emissions compared to the current Euro 6 and upcoming Euro 7 standards, and of Secondary Organic Aerosols (SOA) and their potential precursors. Furthermore, three different atmospheric ageing devices (a simulation chamber and two oxidation flow reactors) will be employed for the laboratory tests to also allow enhanced understanding of the ageing conditions’ effects on SOA formation.
Acknowledgments:
This research was funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme within the AEROSOLS project under grant agreement No. 101096912 and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee [grant numbers 10092043 and 10100997].
How to cite: Leblanc, M., Wisthaler, A., Vanhanen, J., Mauracher, A., Alam, M. S., Eichler, P., Zeraati-Rezaei, S., and Katsaros, F.: Evaluation of primary and secondary emissions from two Euro 6 SUV in laboratory and under real driving conditions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20159, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20159, 2025.
Black carbon (BC) emissions deteriorate air quality in cities and affect human population health. They are important also from climate point of view since atmospheric BC can absorb the solar radiation, affect cloud formation, and decrease ground albedo when deposited to snow or ice. BC is emitted to atmosphere from large variety of different anthropogenic sources. In respect of human exposure to the BC emissions, especially the on-road traffic emissions have had important role, which has led to tightening emission regulations and advanced emission mitigation actions.
In this study, we fulfil the data gaps found in recent literature review by new BC emission measurements. Measurements were done for passenger cars, including diesel, diesel-hybrid, gasoline, gasoline-hybrid, and CNG passenger cars, and for two heavy-duty diesel trucks. The measurements with passenger cars were conducted at BOSMAL, Poland, in the laboratory at a chassis dynamometer in a temperature-controlled test cell, where the used driving cycle simulated real driving emissions (RDE). Temperatures in the test cell were -9 °C, 23 °C and 35 °C. The experiments with heavy-duty trucks were conducted on road in Finland in winter-time conditions. In both measurements the exhaust gas was sampled partially and diluted before the characterization with an aethalometer (AE33, Magee). BC measurements were done parallel with large number of other measurements for trace gases and particles.
Our preliminary results indicate that the BC emissions of cars varied significantly depending on exhaust aftertreatment systems and driving situations. Very low BC emissions were measured for the cars and heavy-duty trucks with exhaust filtration, and ambient temperature variations had only minor effects on BC emission levels of the studied vehicles.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101096133 (PAREMPI: Particle emission prevention and impact: from real world emissions of traffic to secondary PM of urban air).
How to cite: Rönkkö, T., Jäppi, M., Kylämäki, K., Marjanen, P., Honkisz, W., Markkula, L., Salo, L., Lintusaari, H., Lepistö, T., Saarikoski, S., Järvinen, A., Teinilä, K., Cervena, T., Vojtisek, M., Rissanen, M., Bielaczyc, P., Topinka, J., Aakko-Saksa, P., and Timonen, H.: Extremely low black carbon emissions from modern passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15287, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15287, 2025.
Transportation emissions can be a significant source of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) both in urban areas and regionally. Aromatic hydrocarbons and large alkanes are expected to be the major SOA precursors. However, there are still major uncertainties in understanding SOA from vehicle exhaust in different timescales.
To address these uncertainties, this study focuses on measuring SOA formation from vehicle emissions in a real-world environment. The SOA formation from vehicle emissions in a large underground parking structure was investigated using an oxidation flow reactor (OFR). The organic vapors in the study were dominated by cold start emissions. The air in the parking structure was continuously fed to the OFR. The OH exposure was controlled by varying combinations of the OFR’s UV lamps. Α scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) was used to continuously measure the SOA formation inside the OFR. A high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer and a high-resolution proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer coupled to a CHARON inlet were used to characterize the particulate phase alternating sampling between the parking garage and the OFR every 20 minutes. The PTR-MS also monitored the gas phase, while quartz filters were collected for offline analysis. Trace gases (NO, NO2, CO, CO2, O3, and SO2) and black carbon were quantified using dedicated instruments that continuously sampled air from the parking garage.
Significant SOA formation was observed increasing the organic aerosol levels several times. The SOA increased with the intensity of UV lamp exposure in the OFR. The results of the measurements can be used for the parameterization of SOA formation from the vehicle emissions at both intermediate and longer timescales.
How to cite: Kaltsonoudis, C., Pavlidis, D., Vasilakopoulou, C. N., Androulakis, S., Christopoulou, C., Argyropoulou, G., Seitanide, K., Chen, Y., Prevot, A. S. H., and Pandis, S. N.: Secondary organic aerosol formation from transportation emissions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6146, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6146, 2025.
Previous emission inventories have reported fast growing on-road transport sector as one of the major contributors to emissions of aerosol and its carbonaceous fraction in India. The diesel-powered heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs Trucks and tractor/trailers) dominate emissions of light absorbing black carbon at national level. These emission inventories relied on emission factors generated from dynamometer studies which are known to be unrepresentative of real-world driving cycle. Therefore, data generated from dynamometers studies can be considered illusionary. This study will present the emission factors and climate relevant properties of aerosol emitted from on-road operation diesel powered trucks and tractors. The aerosol emissions were measured during on-road operation of heavy-duty vehicles using Versatile Source Sampling System (VS3). The VS3 was designed to iso-kinetically to withdraw a fraction of emission directly from tailpipe and abruptly mix with particle free dilution air for complete aerosol quenching. Before on-road experiments the VS3 was evaluated for homogenous mixing inside dilution tunnel, particle loss and formation. The emission factors of PM2.5 and BC were estimated as 1.2 – 2.4 and 0.5 – 1.3 gkg-1 respectively. The mass absorption cross section for heavy duty trucks were observed as 0.9 – 6.5 m2/gPM2.5. Emission factors of heavy-duty trucks in different emission norms along with the emission factor of organic carbon (OC) will be presented in the paper. The study will also discuss the chemical and optical properties of emissions from HDVs in detail including mass scattering coefficients (MSC), Absorption Angstrom exponent (AAE) and single scattering albedo (SSA). The finding from this study has implications in climate assessment through climate models and framing the policies for on-road vehicles for improving local air quality.
How to cite: Khan, M. S., Habib, G., Imran, M., and Un Nabi, M.: Optical and chemical properties of aerosol from on-road experiments of heavy-duty vehicles in India: Key inputs for climate assessment, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19298, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19298, 2025.
The high-resolution ship emission inventory plays a critical role across multiple disciplines, including atmospheric and marine sciences as well as environmental management. In this study, we present a global high spatiotemporal resolution ship emission inventory developed using the Shipping Emission Inventory Model (SEIMv2.2) at a resolution of 0.1° × 0.1° for the years 2013, 2016–2021. Leveraging 30 billion Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals, SEIMv2.2 integrates real-time vessel positions, speeds, and technical parameters to model ship emissions from the bottom-up for key species, including CO2, NOx, SO2, PM2.5, CO, HC, N2O, CH4, and BC. According to our inventory results, which are freely accessible online (https://zenodo.org/records/11069531), temporally, global ship emissions exhibited minimal daily fluctuations. Spatially, high-resolution datasets revealed varying patterns of ship emission contributions by different vessel types across maritime regions. Research on the high spatiotemporal resolution ship emission inventory model SEIMv2.2 has been accepted by Earth System Science Data (https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2024-258/).
Using our inventory, it is possible to reveal the variability of ship emissions across different regions and temporal scales. Taking 2020 as an example, we found that overall ship emissions of NOx, CO, HC, CO2, and N2O declined by 7.4%–13.8%, primarily due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meanwhile, ship emissions of SO2, PM2.5, and BC dropped significantly by 40.9%–81.9% in 2020 compared to 2019, mainly driven by the implementation of low-sulfur fuel regulations. Focusing on the pandemic's influence, temporally, the largest drop in global ship emissions occurred in February 2020, followed by a gradual recovery in September as trade demand rebounded. Spatially, the shock originated in Asia and gradually extended to Europe and North America. Our analysis of the spatiotemporal variability of global ship emissions during the pandemic highlights the resilience of global maritime emissions, evidenced by the relatively small impact of the pandemic and the rapid pace of recovery. This resilience can be attributed partly to robust trade demand, and partly to the connectivity of maritime trade across continents, stemming from the fact that the trade in one region begins to recover, it often stimulates recovery in its trading partners. Research on the spatiotemporal variability of global ship emissions during the pandemic has been published online (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724067895).
We further examined the characteristics of ship emissions in the Arctic region (defined as the area north of 60°N), which has been attracting research interests in recent years. Between 2016 and 2021, Arctic ship BC emissions increased by 6%, accounting for 1.5% of global ship emissions in 2021. Seasonally, BC emissions from ships during the Arctic summer (July–September) were 1.3 times higher than those in winter (January–March). In terms of vessel type contributions, cargo ships (including general cargo ships, bulk carriers, and container ships) accounted for 44.8% of BC emissions, followed by fishing vessels at 34.8% and oil tankers at 15.0%, in 2021. In the future, distinguishing between ship emissions driven by different transportation demands, such as transit cargo transport and energy transport is crucial for scientifically predicting future Arctic ship emissions and developing effective Arctic ship emission reduction strategies.
How to cite: Yi, W. and Liu, H.: High-resolution global shipping emission inventory by Shipping Emission Inventory Model (SEIM): Insights into multiyear spatiotemporal variability, pandemic impacts, and emerging Arctic shipping emissions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1997, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1997, 2025.
The regulation introduced in 2020 that limits the sulfur content in shipping fuel has reduced sulfur emissions over global open oceans by about 80 %. This is expected to have reduced aerosols that both reflect solar radiation directly and affect cloud properties, with the latter also changing the solar radiation balance. Here we investigate the impacts of this regulation on aerosols and climate in the HadGEM3-GC3.1-LL climate model. The global aerosol effective radiative forcing caused by reduced shipping emissions is estimated to be 0.13 W m−2, which is equivalent to an additional ∼50 % to the net positive forcing resulting from the reduction in all anthropogenic aerosols from the late-20th century to the pre-2020 era. Ensembles of global coupled simulations from 2020–2049 predict a global mean warming of 0.04 K averaged over this period. Our simulations are not clear on whether the global impact is yet to emerge or has already emerged because the present-day impact is masked by variability. Nevertheless, the impact of shipping emission reductions either will have already committed us to warming above the 1.5 K Paris target or will represent an important contribution that may help explain part of the rapid jump in global temperatures over the last 12 months. Consistent with previous aerosol perturbation simulations, the warming is greatest in the Arctic, reaching a mean of 0.15 K Arctic-wide and 0.3 K in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic (which represents a greater than 10 % increase in the total anthropogenic warming since pre-industrial times).
How to cite: Yoshioka, M., Grosvenor, D., Booth, B., Morice, C., and Carslaw, K.: Warming effects of reduced sulfur emissionsfrom shipping, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11307, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11307, 2025.
Strict regulations on sulfur emissions from shipping, introduced in 2020, have drastically reduced SO2 emissions from international shipping. As SO2 is an aerosol precursor, this decline in anthropogenic emissions over the ocean will weaken the total aerosol effective radiative forcing (ERF) that historically has masked an uncertain fraction of the greenhouse gas induced warming.
Here, we use four global climate models and a chemical transport model to calculate the ERF resulting from an 80% reduction in SO2 emissions from international shipping relative to 2019 emission estimates. The individual model means range from 0.06 to 0.09 W m-2, corresponding to the ERF resulting from the increase in CO2 concentration over the last 2 to 3 years. The impact of this one-year drop in shipping emissions in 2020 is overshadowed by the long-term effects of reduced anthropogenic SO₂ emissions over the past decades, also in oceanic regions.
Using a single model, we investigate sensitivities due to Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) emissions and calculate the forcing from the emission reduction in 2020 as represented by the most recent emission inventories.
As for aerosol ERF in general, the ERF due to the new shipping sulfur regulations has a large uncertainty range. Although not fully quantified here, this will very likely be high considering the contribution of uncertainties in shipping SO2 emissions, the sulfur cycle, the modelling of cloud adjustments and the impact of interannual variability on the method for calculating radiative forcing.
How to cite: Skeie, R. B., Byrom, R., Hodnebrog, Ø., Jouan, C., and Myhre, G.: Multi-model effective radiative forcing of the 2020 sulfur cap for shipping, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15321, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15321, 2025.
The summer of 2023 has seen an anomalous increase in temperatures even when considering the ongoing greenhouse-gases driven warming trend. Here we demonstrate that regulatory changes to sulfate emissions from international shipping routes, which resulted in a significant reduction in sulfate particulate released during international shipping starting on January 1 2020, might have been a major contributing factor to the monthly surface temperature anomalies during the last year. We do this by including in Community Earth System Model (CESM2) simulations the appropriate changes to emission databases developed for the Climate Model Intercomparison Project version 6 (CMIP6). The aerosol termination effect simulated by the updated CESM2 simulations of +0.14 ± 0.07 W/m2 and 0.08K ± 0.03K is consistent with observations of both radiative forcing and surface temperature, manifesting a similar delay as the one observed in observational datasets between the implementation of the emission changes and the anomalous increase in warming. Our findings highlight the importance of considering realistic near-future changes in short-lived climate forcers for future climate projections, such as for CMIP7, for an improved understanding and communication of short-term climatic changes.
How to cite: Visioni, D. and Quaglia, I.: Modeling 2020 regulatory changes in international shipping emissions helps explain 2023 anomalous warming, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-10668, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-10668, 2025.
The radiative impact of ship emissions, mostly through iteracting with marine low clouds, is uncertain. Survey of literature shows an almost 1000-fold difference in its magnitude. Here we use detected ship-tracks, bottom-up, and top-down geospatial krigging, top-down, to constrain its magnitude in the Southeast Atlantic. We show that physics derived based on bottom-up approach provides similar estimate of the forcing estimate as the top-down approach. With the derived physics, we further estimate the forcing of the total ship emissions. In particular, the forcing due to the recent IMO 2020 is estimated to play a significant role in driving short-term additional warming. We discuss the policy implications of our estimate in terms of regulations and geoengineering.
How to cite: Yuan, T.: Understanding the radiative impact of ship emissions through both bottom-up and top-down approaches, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20730, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20730, 2025.
Exhaust gases and particles from ships are a significant and growing contributor to the total emissions from transport. Globally, the sector is a significant contributor to global emissions of NOx and SO2.1,2 Recently, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has reduced the sulphur content of marine fuels globally through Annex VI of MARPOL, and sulphur emissions are further restricted in specific Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA), such as the English Channel between France and the UK. Similarly, NOx emission limits have been set for ships built after 2016 in NOx Emission Control Areas (NECA).
However, other pollutants such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) or Particulate Matter (PM), are not regulated in relation to ship emissions. Here, we present new emission factors (EFs) for regulated and non-regulated pollutants from ship emissions derived from a land-based measurement campaign in the port of Dunkirk, France in the framework of the PIRATE and SHIPAIR projects. A comprehensive suite of gas-phase and particulate-phase pollutants was investigated with a focus on VOCs, based on PTR-MS measurements, and PM1 composition, based on AMS measurements. About 150 plumes were detected from three similar ferries, and EFs were calculated for 84 pollutants.
Despite being located in an Emission Control Area (ECA) for SOx and NOx, we show that SO2 remains a reliable tracer of ship emissions for land-based measurements in the port area. A sensitivity test of the EF with respect to background considerations was performed, showing significant discrepancies depending on the method of background calculation. This underlines the importance of explicit background considerations in EF calculations.
The EF of the particulate phase is dominated by the organic fraction (OA), between 0.05 and 15.88 g/kg fuel, two to three orders of magnitude higher than nitrate and sulphate. Particle Number (PN) EFs vary between 1.08·1014 and 1.60·1017 part./kgfuel, with a unimodal mode centred at 90 nm. The VOC EFs are dominated by oxygenated species, such as acetaldehyde (30.7 - 404.8 mg/kg fuel). The second most emitted group of VOCs are C5 cyclic compounds, of which cyclopentane has the highest EF (12.8 - 439.6 mg/kg fuel). Aromatic VOCs, such as benzene, toluene and xylenes, are also detected, with EFs below 80 mg/kg fuel. We also present the emissions as a function of the navigation phases, suggesting that certain pollutants are emitted more during the arrival of the ferries than during their departure. In particular, the speciated VOC EFs are expected to improve current emission inventories.
References :
(1) Aakko-Saksa, P. T. et al. Reduction in greenhouse gas and other emissions from ship engines: Current trends and future options. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science 94, 101055 (2023). (2) Lehtoranta, K. et al. Particulate Mass and Nonvolatile Particle Number Emissions from Marine Engines Using Low-Sulfur Fuels, Natural Gas, or Scrubbers. Environmental Science and Technology 53, 3315–3322 (2019).
How to cite: Tinel, L., Volent, E., Gunti, Q., D'Anna, B., F. De Brito, J., Jamar, M., Temime-Roussel, B., Moldanova, J., Timonen, H., Hellen, H., Lanzafame, G., Dal Maso, M., Riffault, V., and Sauvage, S.: Determining Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Particulate Matter (PM1) shipping Emission Factors from land-based, high time resolution observations in an Emission Control Area of northern France, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15887, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15887, 2025.
Pollutants emitted by internal combustion engines harm human health and contribute to climate change. Diesel engines, commonly used to power ships, are a significant source of these emissions. Eichler et al. (2017) identified lubricating oil as a major contributor to ship exhaust particles. As the shipping industry transitions to decarbonized fuels, the combustion of lubricating oil may remain a source of organic aerosol emissions. This study highlights the role of minimizing lubricating oil combustion in reducing exhaust emissions from ships.
In this study we used a small diesel generator to produce aerosol emissions from marine fuels. Lubricating oil was blended into marine distillate fuel (DMB) to investigate its impact on exhaust emissions. Our results revealed that the addition of lubricating oil led to increased particle number emissions, a marked rise in nucleation-mode particle formation and a reduction in black carbon emissions. We also examined the effects on volatile organic compound emissions (with a PTR-MS), secondary aerosol formation potential (with an OFR), particle chemical composition (with a SP-AMS), and toxicity (with an air-liquid interface). These results, currently under analysis, will be presented in due course.
How to cite: Marjanen, P., Kylämäki, K., Jäppi, M., Markkula, L., Lepistö, T., Asgher, R., Farhoudian, S., Kuutti, H., Barreira, L., Červená, T., Vojtisek-Lom, M., Honkisz, W., Timonen, H., Aakko-Saksa, P., and Rönkkö, T.: Fresh and Secondary Exhaust Emission Outcomes of Lubricating Oil Blended into Marine Fuel, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14959, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14959, 2025.
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx, i.e., NO and NO2) are major contributors to local air pollution. They negatively affect human health and play an essential role in tropospheric chemistry. While air quality concerns are often focusing on heavy road traffic and seagoing ships, long-lasting diesel engines of inland waterway vessels can also be strong NOx emitters and might represent a significant local pollution source. The Rhine River, Europe’s most important and busiest inland waterway, connects key seaports, industrial hubs, and densely populated cities, highlighting its importance for emission monitoring. Emissions from inland ships are concentrated near waterways, making their effect on air quality particularly relevant in residential areas located along intensively used waterways. Understanding and quantifying these emissions is important to assess inland shipping’s impact on local air quality.
In this work, we analyse NOx emissions from inland ship exhaust plumes based on measurements performed in cooperation with the Federal Institute of Hydrology at the Rhine River in Koblenz, Germany. Over the course of more than one year, NO2 measurements were taken using two MAX-DOAS (Multi-AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) instruments, providing high temporal resolution (6-8 seconds) and a large dataset for good statistical analysis. This remote sensing technique captures ship exhaust plumes from a riverbank while the ships pass by the line of sight of the instrument, making the detection of ship emissions less dependent on wind direction compared to using in-situ measurements. By measuring NO2 column densities at different elevation angles, MAX-DOAS provides not just a single average value for the entire plume, but information about vertical NO2 distribution within the plume. Here, we estimate the emission flux through the cross-section of the plume (in grams per second) based on measured column densities, ship position information, and wind data. Retrieved emission rates then can be converted to units in grams per kilowatt-hour, allowing for a direct comparison with European emission standards.
How to cite: Ripperger-Lukošiūnaitė, S., Ziegler, S., Eger, P., Donner, S., Beirle, S., Hoor, P., and Wagner, T.: NOx emissions from inland shipping using plume cross-sections obtained from MAX-DOAS measurements, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8854, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8854, 2025.
Several global and regional inventories have been developed in recent years, but none of them provide information on the uncertainties of the emissions. As part of the CAMS EvOlution project (CAMEO), we have developed a tool to evaluate the uncertainties of emissions from transportation in different countries around the world. This tool, the Copernicus Online Computation of Anthropogenic Emission Uncertainties (COCAU), is a web-based platform for exploring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their uncertainties, with a focus on the transportation sector. Built with modern online technologies, COCAU enables users to filter and visualize emissions data interactively. The emissions are calculated based on emission factors and activity data collected through the CO2MVS Research on Supplementary Observations European project (CORSO) ensuring scientific rigor and reliability. This tool allows users to display emissions at various scales, from country-level to regional-level. We will discuss the COCAU tool and the data used to calculate the uncertainties, and present its features, such as customizable charts, interactive maps, and downloadable datasets in JSON and CSV formats, offering a comprehensive and interactive view of emissions data.
How to cite: Merly, H., Doumbia, T., Liousse, C., Guevara, M., and Granier, C.: A web-based tool for exploring and visualizing GHG emissions from transportation and their uncertainties: the Copernicus Online Computation of Anthropogenic emission Uncertainties (COCAU)., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8613, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8613, 2025.
Ocean-going vessels contribute substantially to global carbon dioxide emissions, compelling effective mitigation strategies. This research investigates the potential of weather ship routing (WSR) for emissions reduction, focusing on Short Sea Shipping (SSS) in the Mediterranean Sea, bridging the gap between shipping pollutant estimation and weather routing optimization, two areas often studied independently.
The study utilizes SIMROUTE, an open-source software tool employing the A* pathfinding algorithm to optimize routes based on wave action derived from Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) data. SIMROUTE calculates both minimum distance and optimized routes, minimizing sailing time by considering weather conditions. This research builds upon SIMROUTE’s core functionalities by specifically quantifying the emissions reductions achievable through WSR.
WSR is formulated as an optimization problem incorporating various parameters, including vessel type, propulsion machinery, fuel type, and wave effects on navigation. Fuel consumption and ship emissions calculations are performed using a methodology inspired by the STEAM2 bottom-up approach, further incorporating the increased power required to overcome speed reductions caused by waves. Wave effects are primarily parameterized using the Bowditch methodology, recognized for its simplicity, with sensitivity analyses conducted using Aertssen’s and Khokhlov’s formulations.
Despite the limited fetch and relatively small significant wave heights typical of the Mediterranean, substantial reductions in fuel consumption and emissions are achieved through SIMROUTE simulations. This implies even greater benefits in open ocean conditions with larger wave heights, as supported by a case study of a large Pacific Ocean route demonstrating a 13.25% emission reduction. This aligns with existing literature advocating for sector-specific emissions analysis due to variations in influencing factors.
Derived from the SIMROUTE simulations’ results, it is concluded that, while emissions reductions on very short routes are modest, their cumulative effect over time, considering storm frequency and service schedules, warrants further investigation. Notably, significant emissions reductions, up to 30%, were observed for SSS routes up to 600 nautical miles. Consequently, SIMROUTE software stands out as a tool for demonstrating that there is an emissions mitigation potential in SSS routes, providing vessel-specific data demonstrating meaningful results regardless of distance covered, highlighting the value of WSR as a practical emissions reduction strategy.
How to cite: Borén, C., Grifoll, M., and Castells-Sanabra, M.: SIMROUTE: A Tool for Assessing the Emissions Mitigation Potential of Weather Routing in Short Sea Shipping , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4529, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4529, 2025.
Particulate matter (PM) air pollution poses a significant threat to public health and the environment, particularly in urban areas. To mitigate these impacts, understanding the sources of PM through accurate source apportionment (SA) is essential for informed air quality management. Traditional SA methods rely on offline data collection, which delays responses to pollution events. However, advancements in monitoring technology have made real-time SA possible, providing continuous and detailed insights into pollution contributors. This study introduces the first deployment of the ACSM-Xact-Aethalometer (AXA) system combined with SoFi RT software for real-time PM source apportionment (RT-SA) in Athens, Greece.
The AXA system integrates chemical, elemental, and black carbon data, offering a holistic view of PM sources in an urban context. The analysis identified traffic emissions as the largest PM contributors, while secondary components, such as organic aerosols, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium, accounted for for over 50% of the total PM mass. Primary emissions from sources like biomass burning and cooking contributed around 10% each, while natural sources such as sea salt and dust made up the remainder. By capturing organic, elemental, and black carbon fractions, the AXA setup provides a comprehensive profile of PM composition.
The use of SoFi RT software enables continuous, near-instant SA with automated data analysis, enhancing the identification of pollution sources in real time. The findings demonstrate the system’s capability to accurately detect key PM contributors and highlight its potential to revolutionize urban air quality monitoring, paving the way for targeted interventions to reduce PM pollution.
How to cite: Manousakas, M., Zografou, O., Canonaco, F., Diapouli, E., Papagiannis, S., Gini, M., Vassilatou, V., Tobler, A., Vratolis, S., Daelenbach, K., Slowik, J., Prevot, A., and Eleftheriadis, K.: Real-Time Source Apportionment with ACSM-Xact-Aethalometer (AXA) and SoFi RT, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8748, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8748, 2025.
A substantial fraction of submicron particulate matter in urban areas consists of organic aerosol (OA). This study aimed to elucidate the chemical characteristics and sources of OA at a traffic location in Helsinki, Finland, using four datasets collected from 2018 to 2024. The measurement site was located at the curbside of Mäkelänkatu (Helsinki Supersite), maintained by the Helsinki Region Environmental Services (HSY). OA composition and mass size distribution were measured using a Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer, while Positive Matrix Factorization was used to separate OA into different types.
The results showed that traffic predominantly produces two types of OA: hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA) and traffic-related oxygenated OA (Tr-OOA), each contributing 10–18% to the total OA. HOA, consisting mostly of hydrocarbon ions, peaked typically during the morning rush hour between 7 and 9 am. Tr-OOA peaked later in the morning, and was more oxygenated than HOA. Tr-OOA showed significant signals for C2H4O2+ (at m/z 60) and C3H5O2+ (at m/z 73), which are typically associated with biomass burning OA (BBOA). Additionally, Tr-OOA had a notable signal for C2H5O2+ (m/z 61), especially high during the winter 2022 campaign. Besides HOA and Tr-OOA, semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA) also appeared somewhat related to traffic emissions, though its secondary nature suggested a stronger link to regional pollution than local traffic emissions.
The specific origin of Tr-OOA remained unclear. However, it could be somewhat atmospherically processed, as its concentration stayed elevated a few hours longer than HOA in the morning, and its mass size distribution peaked at a larger size than HOA. The hydrocarbon ratios in the mass spectra of Tr-OOA suggested a connection to modern vehicles with efficient exhaust after-treatment systems, which operate later in the morning than heavy-duty vehicles or diesel buses.
This study provides a comprehensive view of OA in an urban environment. The novel information on sources and size distributions will enhance the understanding of urban OA and support air quality authorities and decision-makers in finding effective measures to reduce the harmful effects of urban particulate matter.
This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101096133 (PAREMPI) and No 101036245 (RI-URBANS).
How to cite: Saarikoski, S., Aurela, M., Niemi, J. V., Barreira, L., Manninen, H. E., Rönkkö, T., and Timonen, H.: Comprehensive characterization of organic aerosol in a traffic environment, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15145, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15145, 2025.
In this contribution, we present a dedicated instrument for monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under real driving emissions (RDE) conditions in line with the objectives of the EU and UKRI funded AEROSOLS project. This instrument fulfils the necessary criteria to be installed and operated in an SUV passenger car and to measure the emitted VOCs in a time-resolved manner. The VOCs are ionised and analysed using the proton transfer reaction (PTR) in combination with a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. PTR mass-spectrometry (PTR-MS) has proven for many years to be a versatile ionisation technique for the quantification of VOCs, provided that the ion chemistry within the drift tube is well defined. However, for a number of compounds, the ion yield of the detected VOCs is dependent on humidity, making quantification difficult. There have been several attempts to solve this problem. One strategy is a labour- and time-intensive calibration at different humidity levels prior to the actual measurement and correction of the derived concentration after the measurement. Another strategy is to flood the drift tube with large amounts of water vapour, which contradicts the well-defined ion chemistry. Here we present the results of a study using a novel method that eliminates any influence of changing sample humidity on the measurements and has virtually no drawbacks. By introducing a controlled flow of water vapour directly into the PTR reaction region, the humidity is always kept constant. We present both laboratory-based studies on compounds of known humidity dependence and a long-time measurement of the outside air. In the former, we found a signal variation of about a factor of five between dry and 23 g m-3 absolute sample humidity for hydrogen sulphide, for example. By automatically injecting between 0.4 and 1.2 sccm of water vapour, the ion yield intensities for all compounds were decoupled from the sample humidity. In the latter study, we present a measurement during summertime, and despite the change from dry to humid conditions, the humidity in the PTR reaction region remained constant. Therefore, all changes in ion yield intensities represent true concentration changes and not artefacts due to varying water concentration in the air.
Acknowledgement: This research was co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme within the AEROSOLS project under grant agreement No. 101096912 and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee [grant numbers 10092043 and 10100997].
How to cite: Mauracher, A., Winkler, K., Gutmann, R., and Sulzer, P.: Measuring VOCs under real driving emission conditions by means of PTR-MS with active countermeasures for the humidity dependence, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15514, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15514, 2025.
Transportation remains a major contributor to global CO2 emissions, with road transport being the largest source. While electrification advances, additional mitigation strategies are needed to meet emission reduction targets. This study investigates how particle and trace gas emissions change when using renewable diesel fuel compared to fossil diesel in a hybrid engine. Measurements were conducted at Tampere University's Hybrid Engine Research Platform (HERPA), utilizing a comprehensive instrument fleet including FTIR spectroscopy, particle sizing, and Vocus PTR mass spectrometry for volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis. The renewable biodiesel, produced from waste fats and oils, demonstrated significant emission reductions compared to conventional diesel. During standardized RMC-C1 test cycles, the renewable fuel achieved approximately 30% lower particle emissions and showed reduced trace gas levels, including a threefold reduction in SO2 emissions due to lower sulfur content in the fuel. While both fuels exhibited similar qualitative emission patterns during engine operation, the renewable fuel consistently produced lower emissions across multiple pollutant categories. These findings demonstrate that renewable diesel offers substantial emission reduction benefits beyond CO2, presenting a viable pathway for cleaner transportation solutions.
How to cite: Wagner, A. C., Hoivala, J., Marjanen, P., and Dal Maso, M.: Renewable Fuel: Assessing VOC and Particle Emission Reduction in a Hybrid Diesel Engine, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19744, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19744, 2025.
The significant impacts of tire and road wear particles (TRWP) on human health and the environment are increasingly being recognized. As a major source of microplastics, tire abrasion presents a pressing challenge, especially with the introduction of the Euro 7 standard, which will regulate brake and tire wear emissions for the first time. However, the absence of standardized methods for airborne TRWP measurements remains a critical barrier. Accurate quantification of airborne TRWP emissions requires complex measurement systems, which are often susceptible to particle loss during sampling.
As part of the “Models and Data for Future Mobility_Supporting Services (MoDa)” project, we aim to develop customer-oriented solutions to support the transformation of the transport sector. One such solution is AirQualityLive (AQL), designed to generate actionable insights from air quality data and enable evidence-based decision-making for cleaner and more sustainable mobility.
This study aimed to enhance measurement precision and mitigate particle loss during tire emission assessments conducted on a chassis dynamometer test bench during Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycles (WLTCs) applied to a electric car. To achieve this, we designed an enclosed tire system (patent pending) and tested the integration of low-cost optical particle counters (OPCs) to measure airborne tire emissions. Two isokinetic particle collection systems were compared: (1) a closed collection system encapsulating the tire, isolating it from brake and environmental interferences, and (2) an open collection system. For that purpose, two parallel set-ups were mounted behind the back tires including for each system gravimetric measurements of PM10 and PM2.5, a cascade impactor with four particle size stages (>PM10, PM2.5–10, PM2.5, and <PM1), continuous particle number measurements using a mixing condensation particle counter (Brechtel Model 1720; 7 nm–2 µm), and an optical particle sizer (TSI Model 3330; 0.3–10 µm). The background concentration was monitored using an additional optical particle sizer. Furthermore, four low-cost optical particle counters (Alphasense Model OPC-N3; 0.35 - 40 µm) were deployed: one in each of the sampling set-ups, one for background monitoring, and one for optimal measurement placement studies.
The enclosed collection system demonstrated superior performance for UPF and PM measurements, collecting up to 10 times more particles in the 7 nm–2 µm size range and up to 3 times more particles in the 0.3–10 µm size range compared to the open system. Moreover, preliminary results indicate that calibrated sensors can effectively measure highly time-resolved PM coarse concentrations if placed in close proximity to the tire, being a cost-effective complement to the gravimetric and PM measurements.The results underscore the importance of the measurement system and how the combination of a closed collection system with direct PM sensor measurements can enhance the quantification of real-world tire emissions.
How to cite: Chacón-Mateos, M., Löber, M., Reijrink, N., Reiland, S., Eßl, M., Epple, F., Gaiser, N., Phillipps, F., and Köhler, M.: Towards real-world TRWP quantification: Combining a novel enclosed collection system with optical sensors to mitigate particle loss in tire emission measurements, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15203, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15203, 2025.
Vehicular particulate matter (PM) emissions have been studied widely in view of their composition and health effects, while less is known of the composition of the semi-volatile compounds (SVC) fraction. Furthermore, tightening exhaust emission standards in road-transport sector do not cover semi-volatiles or harmful polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives dibenzothiophenes (DBTs), nitrated (nitro-PAHs) and oxygenated (oxy-PAHs) PAHs present in vehicular exhaust. We studied PAH and their derivatives emissions from PM and SVC fractions collected from the exhaust from modern cars and trucks during real-driving at cold ambient temperatures.
PAHs were found in higher concentrations from the SVC fraction than from the PM. Carcinogenic heavy PAHs were present mainly in the PM, while lighter PAHs dominated the SVC fraction. Oxy-PAHs were found in samples and in some cases, nitro-PAHs and DBTs were also detected. PAH emissions originate mainly from incomplete combustion of fuel and lubricating oil.
Even for the most modern cars and trucks, PAH species were found in the exhaust. Many PAH groups detected are not included in the air quality monitoring. The potential of PAH found in the exhaust of modern cars and trucks to pose harmful health effects emphasizes the need for further development of fuels, lubricating oils, engines and aftertreatment technologies to mitigate these emissions
This work was supported by the European Union’s horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101096133 (PAREMPI: particle emission prevention and impact: from real-world emissions of traffic to secondary PM of urban air).
How to cite: Aakko-Saksa, P., Järvinen, A., Kuutti, H., Honkisz, W., Kylämäki, K., Jäppi, M., Marjanen, P., Rissanen, M., Cervena, T., Vojtisek, M., Barreira, L., Saarikoski, S., Strandberg, B., Ohra-aho, T., Topinka, J., Bielaczyc, P., Rönkkö, T., and Timonen, H.: Polyaromatic hydrocarbons from modern cars and trucks in real-driving at cold ambient temperatures: contributions in particulate matter and semi-volatile compounds , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18349, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18349, 2025.
Despite significant reductions in emissions from road transport driven by air quality regulations, this sector continues to rank among the largest contributors to air pollution globally and within Europe, with profound implications for human health. For certain pollutants, including ultrafine particles (UFP) and semi- and intermediate-volatility organic compounds (S/IVOCs), emission control regulations are lagging behind. In the case of particle number, solid particles are regulated by the Euro standards but the contribution to volatile particle formation is not. This is partly due to insufficient understanding of their emission levels and health impacts. S/IVOCs, which occupy a volatility spectrum between non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and particulate matter (PM), are particularly concerning as they are efficient precursors to secondary organic aerosols (SOAs).
In this study, we present the development and refinement of a high-resolution (6×6 km) road transport emission inventory for Europe, undertaken as part of the EASVOLEE and RI-Urbans projects, by combining information on vehicle mileages by country and emission factors for all major air pollutants, including newly derived factors for total particle number (TPN) and S/IVOCs.
Through a comprehensive literature review, we derived updated and more detailed TPN emission factors that consider fuel injection technologies and particle filters for petrol vehicles and the effect of regeneration for diesel particle filters. To improve the robustness of these factors, they will be further refined using results from measurement campaigns conducted under the EASVOLEE project, including real-world driving and lab measurements. Cold starts and non-exhaust emissions were explicitly modelled for all pollutants. For S/IVOCs, emission profiles were introduced to specify the total SVOC and IVOC mass fractions as a proportion of NMVOC emissions. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of emissions was refined to achieve a more representative allocation of road transport emissions.
Our initial findings highlight that, while PM2.5 emissions from exhaust road transport are less significant compared to other sources, TPN emissions remain a substantial contributor, second only to shipping. Another notable distinction is the strong contribution of non-exhaust sources to PM mass compared to their marginal influence on TPN. This trend aligns with existing research, as non-exhaust emissions predominantly consist of larger particles. Furthermore, cold starts, while varying by pollutant, were found to contribute to roughly 10% of total emissions, emerging as a key consideration for emission inventories, considering that these emissions predominantly occur in urban areas. For the S/IVOC profiles, IVOCs account for approximately 50% of NMVOC emissions from diesel vehicles and 5% from petrol vehicles, while SVOCs contribute 9% and 1.5%, respectively.
These advancements directly support the efforts of modellers to improve the quantification of particulate number concentrations and SOA formation. By enhancing the accuracy of emission data, this work underpins the development of robust policies in line with the EU’s new Ambient Air Quality Directive, which tightens pollutant limit values and drives progress toward cleaner air and improved public health.
How to cite: el Malki, M., Visschedijk, A., Hohenberger, T., and Kuenen, J.: A Dedicated European Emission Inventory for Road Transport with special focus on Ultrafine Particles and Semi- and Intermediate-Volatile Organic Compounds, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11614, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11614, 2025.
Emissions from the on-road transport sector are widely recognised as one of the major sources of air pollution in urban areas, especially in developing countries like India. The congested traffic flow pattern and plying of obsolete vehicle technology may result in the heterogeneous spatial distribution of vehicular exhaust emissions, with a high concentration gradient near traffic junctions. Comprehensive information on the spatial and temporal pattern of vehicular fleet emissions is essential to formulating road transport emission reduction policies for effective air quality management. However, computing such detailed emissions is a very complex task as it requires detailed and accurate traffic activity data such as vehicle volume, type, speed, age, fuel and technology share, etc.
The present study adopted the globally recognised vehicle emission COPERT model to quantify the road transport-related spatial and diurnal emission patterns at 0.01° gridded resolution. The study is novel in its application of deep learning techniques, i.e., the Yolo model for vehicle detection, achieving greater precision and reducing uncertainty in the activity data for heterogeneous traffic flow patterns. The emission estimate of overall PM is highest at the peak morning, i.e., 8-10 AM time, showcasing approximately 48.5 kg/hr, whereas NOx emissions resulted in being highest in 6-8 PM duration, emitting maximum load from buses, i.e., 106 kg/hr. The hourly emission variations exhibit a distinct bimodal pattern, characterised by prominent peaks in the morning and dominant peaks in the evening, largely associated with traffic congestion and peak travel times. The emissions estimates are observed to be highest for two-wheelers (scooters and motorbikes) and cars at the main traffic junctions inside the city area. Emissions from heavy commercial vehicles are observed to be concentrated on the highways during the nighttime. The developed methodology offers a framework for future real-time emission models in Indian urban regions, using real-time traffic activity data in tier II cities.
Keywords: Road transport emissions, deep learning, urban air quality, YOLO
How to cite: Badavath, B., Sharma, M., Sengar, V., and Jain, S.: Predicting road-specific emissions of the active vehicular fleet over the tier-II city in India: Integrating deep learning and speed information, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18968, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18968, 2025.
Air pollution causes around 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide every year [1]. Several studies have demonstrated the harmful effects of poor air quality on health: onset of respiratory diseases [2], cardiovascular problems [3] and neurological disorders [4]. For traffic-related pollution, exhaust emissions are widely studied and their level is actually in decrease, thanks to relevant policies. Still, this is not the case for non-exhaust emissions (brakes, tires, pavement, vehicle components and re-suspension phenomena), which account for the majority of particulate emissions [5]. In order to characterize the non-exhaust emissions and to evaluate their potential toxicity, two industrial partnerships have been set up. Indeed, braking tests were carried out in the laboratory as part of the INSA - VOLVO Chair collaborative project and additional tests were performed with a system directly integrated into the vehicle to analyze particles from tire-road contact within the framework of the INSA - MICHELIN Chair.
For each test, we used an innovative collection system developed in the laboratory, allowing us to capture particles from the brakes or tires directly into a culture medium or a biomimetic surfactant (a new device developed under the Pulsalys DPPA project). This setup also includes a particle counter, with particle size range from 10 nm up to 10 µm, enabling particle size distribution analysis during the tests, along with a carbon tab for particle collection, which is subsequently examined using SEM-EDX to determine the particles’ composition. In order to identify the health impacts of the collected non-exhaust particles, the effect of the collection media on cellular viability was evaluated using RAW264 macrophages cell line. Changes in the physicochemical properties of pulmonary surfactant, as well as the biophysical properties of cells, upon contact with non-exhaust particles were also evaluated.
The collected non-exhaust particles did not show a significant impact on cell viability. However, using a fluidity marker (DIOLL), we detected changes in cell biophysical properties and surfactant structure: indeed, cells in the presence of particles became more rigid, while pulmonary surfactant in the presence of particles became more fluid.
This study underlines thus a significant disturbance in cell metabolism and cellular homeostasis, despite an apparently unaffected cell viability. The observed biophysical changes seem to represent an early marker of chronic pathologies such as cancer or pulmonary fibrosis.
[1] Fuller et al, “Pollution and health: a progress update,” Lancet Planet Health, vol. 6, pp. 535–547, 2022.
[2] Caillaud et al, “Outdoor pollution and its effects on lung health in France,’’ Revue des Maladies Respiratoires, vol. 36, p. 1150—1183, 2019.
[3] Lelieveld et al, “Cardio- vascular disease burden from ambient air pollution in europe reassessed using novel hazard ratio functions.,” European Heart Journa, vol. 40, p. 1590–1596, 2019.
[4] Piguet, “Neurosciences grand public pollution environnementale maladies du cerveau : Les pistes actuelles,” NeuroCampus, vol. Brochure 1, 2018.
[5] Martini, “Scientific evidence on vehicle’s emissions,” The European Commission’s science and knowledge service, 2018.
How to cite: Mirailler, A., Schröder, A., Lazar, A., Granjon, T., Khardi, S., and Trunfio-Sfarghiu, A.-M.: Health impact of non-exhaust particles from road transports, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4132, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4132, 2025.
The ability to induce oxidative stress has been suggested as a potential driver of the toxicity of
particulate matter (PM) exposure, being driven by aerosol composition and its relation to emission sources and chemical aging processes. PM originating from road traffic emissions has been especially implicated as being an important driver of aerosol oxidation potential (OP). In this work, road traffic PM simulated by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) Meteorological Synthesizing Centre – West (MSC-W) model is evaluated against source apportionment data across 19 sites in Europe. The source apportionment data includes information on both aerosol mass and source-specific OP of vehicular wear metals and primary and secondary vehicle exhaust organic aerosol, building upon the studies of Weber et al. (2021) and Daellenbach et al. (2020). Using the source-specific OP factors determined by the latter studies, the modeled contributions to OP are evaluated through comparisons with (OP) measurements for both the DTT and AA assays. We also briefly discuss the impact of model methodology, focusing on the choice of emission inventory, secondary organic aerosol formation scheme, and model resolution.
How to cite: van Caspel, W., Simpson, D., Uzu, G., Jaffrezo, J.-L., and Favez, O.: Evaluation of modeled versus observed road traffic source apportionment and aerosol oxidation potential using the EMEP MSC-W model, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16715, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16715, 2025.
Responding to the outdoor air pollution being one of the gravest environmental and health hazards, mobile source emissions have been subject to scrutiny and emissions reduction efforts through increased efficiency, improved fuels, engine design, combustion control, exhaust aftertreatment, and traffic management. Assessment of the effects of various improvements on human health has been extended from basic laboratory measurements to testing under real-world (real-driving) conditions and to more health relevant metrics than, for example, total particulate mass.
Exposure of cell cultures at air-liquid interface (ALI), mimicking i.e. human lung surface, is believed to be one of the most realistic means to model toxicity of complex mixtures of pollutants on human health. While a number of ALI exposure systems have been developed, the complexity of the close cooperation of “emissions source” and toxicology groups and of the instrumentation are among the limiting factors of ALI use. This work combines these two approaches into portable, on-board ALI exposure chamber, capable of operating in a moving vehicle, delivering its exhaust to living cell cultures.
Cell cultures grown on commercially available 6 mm Transwell inserts are positioned in a compact, airtight exposure box, where the sample is evenly distributed across eight wells of a standard 24-well plate at 25 cm³/min per insert. In a 40x35x45 cm inner dimensions incubator, sample and control air, conditioned to 5% CO2, 37°C and >85% humidity, are drawn through 2-4 exposure boxes. Characterization with silver nanoparticles revealed 50% particle losses at 15 nm and deposition rate of approximately 1.5% at both 10 and 21 nm mean diameter. The system has undergone an extensive field validation, including 4 h of exposure and 2 h transport in a vehicle each day for 5 days, 5-day operation outside in vans and tents at -7 to +32°C.
In the PAREMPI project, the ALI exposure chamber has been mounted on an instrumented trailer used to measure emissions from two heavy-duty diesel trucks. Diluted exhaust produced during operation of the truck on public road in Finland in winter conditions was supplied to an advanced in vitro human airway epithelium MucilAir™ (Epithelix), a reconstituted, fully differentiated, and functional human respiratory tissue derived from primary cells, capable of long-term culture at the air-liquid interface, recognised as one of the closest representations of human lung tissue available for in vitro studies.
This is the first known use of ALI exposure chamber as a portable on-board system (PEMS). In other experiments within the project, the exposure chamber was sampling exhaust from light-duty vehicles of different types and emissions standards, operating on different fuels.
The portable exposure chamber, along with a field-deployable auxiliary mobile base including a small laminar flow box, additional incubator and freezer, can be easily used to study the toxicity of various emissions, effluents and polluted air, aiming for a more relevant toxicity measure than chemical composition alone.
The presentation will focus on the ALI exposure chamber design, with results of toxicological assays being presented at a later time.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: EU Horizon Europe project 101096133 PAREMPI (tests), Czech Science Foundation grant 22-10279S (exposure chamber development)
How to cite: Vojtisek-Lom, M., Dittrich, L., Cervena, T., Honkova, K., Zavodna, T., Rössner, P., Järvinen, A., Kuutti, H., Honkisz, W., Marjanen, P., Lepistö, T., Salo, L., Kylämäki, K., Jäppi, M., Teinilä, K., Li, D., Timonen, H., Topinka, J., Rönkkö, T., and Aakko-Saksa, P. and the PAREMPI project team: Assessing Exhaust Gas Exposure in Real Driving Conditions with a Portable Air-Liquid Interface Chamber, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17347, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17347, 2025.
Nowadays the relative contribution of non-exhaust emissions (NEEs) to the total traffic-related PM10 has increased to 60–90% (Piscitello et al., 2021) due to engine developments, tightening emission standards and the growing share of electric vehicles. Among the major sources of NEEs, urban road dust is a complex mixture of particles from different primary sources, such as resuspension from soil, construction and demolition works and traffic-related sources. The respirable fraction of urban road dust may contain potentially hazardous pollutants which may cause adverse health effects.
A special mobile sampling unit (Jancsek-Turóczi et al., 2013) was successfully deployed to collect resuspended and respirable urban road dust (PM1−10) samples for source apportionment studies. The availability of bulk PM1−10 fraction of the collected road dust without a filter matrix facilitated the application of XRD method for the determination of the mineralogical composition. The identified main crystalline phases (calcite, quartz, dolomite, chlorite, plagioclase, alkali feldspar, mica and gypsum) in the PM1−10 fraction of resuspended road dust can be attributed to two major sources, namely construction/demolition works and soil resuspension, with a significant degree of overlap.
In order to further differentiate between the two major sources, resuspended road dust samples were collected on construction and demolition sites and from their vicinity in order to determine specific mineralogical tracer of construction works by XRD analysis. In three of the six urban road dust samples, we have successfully identified pseudowollastonite, a mineral phase of CaSiO3 that is exclusively formed in high temperature processes of cement production (Santos et al., 2019). It can occur in relatively abundant in slags and cement, but is virtually absent in native rocks since its formation requires a complex interplay of specific factors that barely happens in nature (Seryotkin et al., 2012). In our study we prove that this crystalline phase can be an excellent tracer for assessing the contribution of the construction and demolition works to common mineral particles found in ambient PM10 and resuspended road dust.
This work was supported by the Sustainable Development and Technologies National Programme of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (FFT NP FTA) and the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Piscitello, A., Bianco, C., Casasso, A., Sethi, R. (2021) Sci. Total Environ. 766, 144440.
Jancsek-Turóczi, B., Hoffer, A., Nyírő-Kósa, I., Gelencsér, A. (2013) J. Aerosol Sci. 65, 69-76.
Seryotkin, Y.V., Sokol, E.V., Kokh, S.N. (2012) Lithos 134-135, 75-90.
Santos, D., Santos, R.L., Pereira, J., Horta, R.B., Colaco, R., Paradiso, P. (2019) Materials 12, 3457.
How to cite: Jancsek-Turóczi, B., Hoffer, A., Osán, J., and Gelencsér, A.: Mineral characterization of a major source of the traffic-related non-exhaust emissions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13035, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13035, 2025.
Volatile Methyl Siloxanes (VMSs) are anthropogenic molecules emitted from personal care products and industrial chemical products. Recent studies have found that concentrations of VMSs tend to be higher in densely populated urban areas, although research in large urban centers remains limited. Toxicity of such molecules remain uncertain with often conflicting reports. Previous literature has also reported the presence of long chain siloxanes in the particle phase from traffic emissions, and represented the first identification and quantification of siloxanes mostly likely emitted from vehicles.
In this study, the chassis dynamometer measurements were conducted to characterize the gaseous components from a variety of vehicles, including gasoline passenger cars, diesel passenger cars, and scooters. Time-resolved volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions during the cold start through a full driving cycle from different vehicles were chemically characterized by the Vocus proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (VOCUS PTR-TOF-MS). The emission factors (EFs) of Hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D3), Octamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D4) and Decamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D5) were determined, and will be discussed with only specific types of vehicles emitting significant quantities of VMSs. Our results will also be compared to recent tunnel measurements, which demonstrated elevated concentrations of VMSs. Additionally, our results offer new insights into characterization and source appointment siloxanes in the atmosphere.
Figure 1. Real-time concentrations of D3, D4, D5, acetone, benzene, toluene, and driving cycle for a) a gasoline engine and b) a diesel engine.
How to cite: Chen, Y., Wang, Y., Yue, S., Bauer, M., Pavlidis, D., Argyropoulou, G., Aktypis, A., Kaltsonoudis, C., Wili, P., Comte, P., Engelmann, D., El Haddad, I., G. Slowik, J., N. Pandis, S., S. H. Prevot, A., and M. Bell, D.: Emissions of Volatile Methyl Siloxanes (VMSs) from Vehicles, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17428, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17428, 2025.
With over 1.6 billion vehicles worldwide, the combustion of fossil fuels is a major source of particulate matter (PM) and trace gases, which significantly contribute to air pollution, climate change and cause health burden. Heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) constitute a small fraction of the global vehicle population but account for a disproportionately large share of total emissions when compared with light-duty vehicles (LDVs). However, uncertainty remains about which vehicle type contribute most to the emission factors (EFs) of various pollutants, particularly in Europe, where diesel technology has historically been favored for LDVs.
Because traditional engine emission tests may not accurately reflect the real-world emissions, there is a need for on-road, real-world emission assessments. In this study, we conducted a three-week measurement campaign in the Fréjus Road Tunnel using MIRO MGA-10, aethalometer and SMPS. We developed a practical method to determine the EFs of primary pollutants, including trace gases (NOx, CO2, CO, N2O, NH3, CH4), black carbon (BC), and ultrafine particles (UFP). The calculated EFs will be reported, and selected pollutant species will be compared with previously published data from Asia and America in equivalent units.
Figure 1 shows the results for the species mentioned, where HDV* indicates the proportion of HDVs to the total number of vehicles, taking into account the CO2 emissions from a single HDV and LDV. The results indicated that for most pollutant species, LDVs exhibited higher EFs than HDVs. However, HDVs emitted a higher fraction of N2O compared to LDVs. The EFs of NOx, CO, BC, and NH3 were consistent with previous studies conducted in Europe but lower than data reported from Asia and America. This study’s findings will raise public awareness and provide valuable insights for policymakers to develop strategies to mitigate emissions.
Figure 1. Emission Factors (g/kg fuel)
How to cite: Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Bauer, M., Pavlidis, D., Molina, C., George, C., Nenes, A., N. Pandis, S., M. Bell, D., El Haddad, I., and S. H. Prevot, A.: Emission Factors of Primary Pollutants from a Real-world Tunnel Measurement, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16555, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16555, 2025.
Introduction: Precise measurement and characterization of ultrafine particles (UFPs) is one of the key objectives of the MI-TRAP (Mitigating Transport Related Air Pollution in Europe) project. The scanning mobility particle sizers (SMPS) have been conventionally used worldwide for measuring the particle number size distributions (PNSD) from transport emissions as well as in ambient air. Consequently, they are an integral part of the air quality monitoring network under the MI-TRAP consortia and the measurements are harmonized with the standard protocol (CEN/TS 17434:2020) by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). This standard specifies the diameter range for a SMPS scan from 10 nm up to 800 nm, consequently leading to large scan time over 5 minutes. However, the size distribution of UFPs monitored by SMPS at several European sites have been found to be predominately centered around geometric mean diameter (GMD) < 100 nm [1]. Moreover, the introduction of new European emission standards like Euro 6 have led to decrease the GMDs of transport emissions as well (GMD = 50-60 nm observed for Euro 6 gasoline and port fuel injected engines) [2]. Therefore, this wide scan range is less efficient and time consuming for monitoring UFPs from transport emissions. All these factors necessitate the introduction of a fast-scanning mode with a narrower scan range without compromising the accuracy and tailored for the specific needs of UFP measurements.
Methodology: Our study presents the performance evaluation of the novel fast-scanning mode (1-minute) of a CEN-SMPS and investigates its suitability/applicability to measure UFPs in its scan range (10-237 nm). The reference SMPS (TSI-3938, CPC-TSI-3755) system was compared against a reference CPC (TSI-3750) measuring the total particle number (TPN). Another reference CPC (TSI-3750) was used in combination with catalytic stripper (CS) to simulate the solid particle number (SPN). Therefore, soot particles with varying parameters like particle number (PN), PNSD, fuels to gas ratio in soot generator (λ), and organic load (OL), were generated using a Mini-CAST (5303C) and aerosol conditioning facility of PTB, Germany. Furthermore, the impact of varying λ and PNSD on organic fractions of soot particles was evaluated through SPN / TPN, and finally a shrinking ratio was estimated based on ratio of GMD (Solid particles) to GMD (Total Particles) i.e., SGMD/TGMD.
Results & Discussion: The figure below presents our first findings for described metric, only λ = 0.9 (lean conditions) is shown here. Similar analyses were performed for λ = 1.3 (moderate), and 1.8 (fat), respectively. The TPN, SPN measured by reference CPCs and simultaneous cumulative particle number measured by reference SMPS (CS-, CS+) were in good agreement (within ±10%). Additionally, the SPN/TPN and SGMD/TGMD ratios decreased with decrease in the GMD, suggesting either a higher organic fraction or higher diffusion losses in CS at lower GMD.
References:
[1] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.107744
[2] https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/catal9070586
How to cite: Malik, A., Nowak, A., Rosahl, J., Eleftheriadis, K., and Gini, M.: Performance evaluation of CEN-SMPS with a novel fast scan mode for better identification of UFPs in MI-TRAP, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8370, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8370, 2025.
Atmospheric aerosols significantly impact the Earth’s climate and human health. The fraction of ultrafine particles (UFPs) present significant health risks because of their high surface area-to-mass ratio and their ability to penetrate deep into the lungs. Urban areas are hot spots for human exposure to UFPs, because they are strongly influenced by traffic exhaust emissions. Those emissions can be emitted directly as primary particles (soot, carbonaceous aggregates) or as so called secondary particles formed in the tailpipe after cooling of the exhaust gases or even in ambient air by further oxidation process induced by sunlight (volatile nucleation mode particles).
Once they are released into the atmosphere, soot particles undergo aging processes, during which they become internally or externally mixed with secondary organic and inorganic species, resulting in a core-shell structure. The solid core mainly consists of black carbon, while the shell is primarily composed of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. To identify the link between traffic exhaust emission in the tailpipe with “real-word” emission, also solid particle number (SPN) measurements have to be performed in ambient conditions. Thermodenuders, catalytic strippers, and Volatility Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzers (VTDMA) are state of the art techniques for SPN measurements. Thermodenuders and catalytic strippers are designed for the rapid removal of volatile components from solid particles, while VTDMA offers more detailed insights into the mixing state of size-selected aerosol particles.
This study aims to characterize UFPs at a traffic site in Athens by analyzing particle number concentrations, size distributions and volatility. Those measurements were compared to the Demokritos Athens suburban research station. Volatility measurements of size-selected particles (30 nm, 50 nm, 80 nm, and 120 nm) were performed using a custom-made VTDMA, operated at temperatures of 25°C, 110°C, 200°C, and 300°C. Data processing was carried out using the TDMAinv algorithm (Gysel et al., 2009). Additionally, a comparison of the VTDMA and catalytic stripping techniques was conducted under controlled conditions during lab experiment with miniCAST test aerosol at the PTB facility for exhaust emission tester.
Volatility was expressed in terms of aerosol particle number fraction (NFR) and volume fraction (VFR) remaining, shrink factor (SF) and mixing state. The aerosol particles at the traffic site appear to be closely linked to road traffic, as their solid particle number concentration peaks during traffic rush hours. These particles are externally mixed and consist of volatile, semi-volatile, and refractory components. The NFR at 300°C was 8 % for nuclei mode particles, while for Aitken mode the NFR was higher (>50%), indicating that a significant fraction of Aitken mode particles is composed of a solid particle fraction consist of black carbon particles. The SF was 70% for nuclei mode particles and around 50% for Aitken particle.
Gysel, M., McFiggans, G.B., Coe, H., Inversion of tandem differential mobility analyser (TDMA) measurements, J. Aerosol Sci., 40, 2009, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2008.07.013, 2009.
How to cite: Spitieri, C., Gini, M., Gysel-Beer, M., Nowak, A., and Eleftheriadis, K.: Volatility of ultrafine and solid particles at a traffic site in Athens, Greece., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19731, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19731, 2025.
In Germany, rail traffic is crucial when it comes to land transport of passengers and goods, according to the last report of the Deutsche Bahn AG, in 2023 more than 5 million passengers and 540 kt per day were transported [1]. Although this type of transport has been at the forefront in terms of sustainability and environmental friendliness, it is not exempted from generating effects on the environment.
According to the national emission inventory, the estimation of particulate matter (PM) emissions from train fuel combustion have decreased over the last 25 years (from ~ 2 kt/year to ~0.1 kt/year), however in the case of non-exhaust-emissions they have remained relatively constant at about 8 kt/year. Similarly, nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions have considerably fallen from > 45 kt/year in 1995 to < 10 kt/year in 2022 [2].
Despite these data, which are by the way estimates, are not that detailed aggregated, that they could show e.g. the distribution of the air pollutants within the vicinity of the rails.
This study addresses this gap by measuring air quality in different structures of the German railway network: plain line, freight station, underground- and aboveground station, and tunnel.
Methodology
Air pollutant measurements were carried out at Augsburg central train station (handling about 234,000 trains annually) from February to May 2023. Using a windward-leeward approach, four measurement stations were installed, two for measuring the urban background concentrations and two directly on train platforms.
PM was measured by gravimetry (24 – 72 h averages) and continuous light scattering spectrometers and NOx with a chemiluminescence monitor (continuously) at one station and with passive samplers (2 – 4 weeks averages) at all stations.
Some filters from the gravimetric measurements were analyzed in the laboratory for a broad spectrum of trace elements (e.g., Fe, Cu, Mg, etc.). Ultrafine particles and black carbon were also measured at one station.
A motion sensor camera recorded train passages to differentiate impacts from passenger/freight trains and diesel/electric locomotives.
Results
The results show a relatively low additional load of PM at around 2 μg/m³, while in the case of NOx the value was between 17 and 20 μg/m3. On the other hand, when the short-term influence was assessed, following train passages showed significant peaks, the concentrations of PM rose to almost 100 μg/m³ and NOx even up to 600 μg/m³ for several minutes.
As it was not the case that all trains generated the same increase in pollutant concentration, a statistical analysis was carried out in which more than 10,000 events (train passages) were evaluated. The events were categorized by train type (S-Bahn, IC/ICE, regional, freight) and locomotive (diesel/electric). By this means means, probabilities of additional pollutant concentrations were also calculated.
The results showed that one in 20 trains produced an additional PM load exceeding 10 μg/m3 for all train types and in the cases of diesel trains, one in five trains caused an increase in NOX concentration of at least 50 μg/m3.
How to cite: Obando, D., Vogt, U., Düring, I., and Michael, S.: Quantification of the Impact of Rail Traffic to Air Pollution at an Aboveground Train Station and its Surroundings, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-21788, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-21788, 2025.
China's civil aviation transportation is expected to become the world’s largest aviation market soon. However, synergistically reducing CO2 and pollutants in aviation presents significant challenges, making it one of the most difficult sectors for future emission reductions. To assess the environmental impacts of the growing aviation market in China, this study aims to outline the future spatial patterns of aviation pollutant emissions in China by 2035 based on a localized bottom-up analysis, incorporating planned airport infrastructure, projected demand growth in city pairs, fleet expansion, and technological composition. Two methodologies are used, a random-forest regression model to predict air route passenger flow by 2035, and a spatial pollutant emission approach performed bottom-up that considers improving aircraft and engine technology, optimizing operations and using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Then, the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Integrated Source Apportionment Method (ISAM) modeling system (v5.3.2) is utilized to stimulate the physical and chemical processes aviation-derived air pollutants of the expected scenario in 2030. Our findings highlight the increasing impact of aviation in China, particularly in cities with dual airports, and reveal the challenges of accelerating coordinated reductions in CO2 and air pollutants within the aviation sector. Despite most new airports being constructed in Southwest China, the disparity in spatial pollutant distribution will continue to grow due to increased aviation activities at central hubs in Eastern China. The proportion of aviation-attributed near ground PM2.5 and O3 in total concentrations would have increased from 2.9% and 9.4% to 6.7% and 14.2% in developed regions from 2017 to 2030 as other sectors progress towards decarbonization and pollutant emissions reduction. Stricter and more diversified control measures are needed to help the aviation industry reduce pollutant emissions while achieving decarbonization.
How to cite: Yan, J., Wu, R., Zhang, J., Zhang, S., and Wu, Y.: Future Spatial Patterns and Environmental Impacts of Aviation Emissions in China by 2035, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7575, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7575, 2025.
Atmospheric secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation is a tremendously complex phenomena which details keep eluding the researchers. The overwhelming combinatorics in gas-phase organic oxidation demands that in any real atmosphere the aerosol formation and growth occur by a network of interactions likely involving at least thousands of chemical compounds, making development of molecular level description a formidable task. By extension, any single component study will not be able to describe the inherent complexity of ambient gas-phase, necessitating the usage or evermore complex gas mixtures in order to bridge the gap to the real world processes.
In the present work we have performed investigations on probably the most complete gas mixture representing ambient urban conditions. The experiments were performed during the CHANEL measurement campaign during Summer 2024 in the large atmospheric simulation chamber SAPHIR in Forschungszentrum Jülich. The evolving gas mixture and aerosol formation were followed with an unusually large suite of instruments with around 10 chemical ionization mass spectrometers equipped with state-of-the-science detection techniques, including practically all the latest nanoparticle thermal desorption sampling instrumentation, and several nanoparticle sizing methods. The data presented here were mainly obtained with a high-resolution orbitrap nitrate (NO3-) chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) with up to 120 000 mass resolution. The nitrate ionization is highly selective towards very polar and highly functionalized gas-phase compounds and thereby the data includes most oxygenated reaction products that are expected to play an important role in the generation of secondary aerosol. The experiment philosophy was to investigate very complex gas mixtures by including or excluding select mixture components to determine their individual impacts. Significant differences in the measured aerosol precursors were observed as a function of the complexity of the oxidized hydrocarbon pool.
How to cite: Rissanen, M., Asgher, R., Barua, S., Farhoudian, S., Iyer, S., Kumar, A., Partovi, F., Vinkvist, N., Gkatzelis, G., and Team, S.-C.: How does aerosol grow in a real atmosphere? Measurement of aerosol precursor gases during a highly complex urban air simulation campaign SAPHIR-CHANEL, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17030, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17030, 2025.
This study investigates the impact of Road Transport Emission Reduction Policies (RTERPs) on air pollutant and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Vijayawada, a non-attainment city in India. Utilising the Activity-Structure-Emission Factor (ASF) modeling technique, we developed an on-road transportation sector emission inventory for the base year 2021, encompassing both vehicle exhaust and non-exhaust emissions. The study found that vehicle exhaust emissions of PM10, NO2, CO, and HC in 2021 were 4.7 Gg, 5.6 Gg, 17.3 Gg, and 2.4 Gg, respectively.
The study evaluated the effectiveness of RTERPs under different scenarios for 2030. Alternative Scenario I (ALT-I-2030), incorporating national-level policies such as vehicle scrappage, cleaner fuels, and electric vehicle promotion, is projected to reduce pollutant emissions by 22-45%. For instance, PM10 emissions are expected to decrease by 22%, while NO2 emissions could see a reduction of up to 45%. ALT-II-2030, due to local-level strategies like low-emission zones in addition to national policies, demonstrates a more significant reduction in vehicle exhaust emissions, ranging from 42% to 68%. Under this scenario, PM10 emissions are projected to decrease by 42%, and NO2 emissions could potentially decline by 68%.
While ALT-II-2030 reduces CO2 emissions from vehicle exhaust by 29% (from 550 Gg in 2021 to 390 Gg in 2030), the study highlights the potential for indirect CO2 emissions from coal-based electricity generation to power the growing electric vehicle fleet, potentially offsetting the positive effects of RTERPs.
Non-exhaust emissions were also quantified, with resuspended road dust constituting the primary source, contributing approximately 94% of PM emissions (nearly 2.4 Gg) in 2021. Meanwhile, tyre, brake, and road wear contributed to 1%, 3%, and 2% respectively. The spatial distribution of both vehicle exhaust and non-exhaust emissions exhibits significant heterogeneity, emphasising the need for localised control strategies in urbanising regions. This study underscores the importance of adopting balanced strategies that simultaneously address air quality concerns and promote sustainable transportation systems, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals 11.2 and 11.6.2.
Keywords: Road transport emissions, Emission inventory, Urban air quality, Scenario analysis, Exhaust and non-exhaust emissions
How to cite: Sharma, M., Jain, S., and Badavath, B.: Assessing the Effectiveness of Emission Reduction Policies in Mitigating Road Transport-Induced Air Pollution and GHG Emissions in a Non-Attainment City in India, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2809, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2809, 2025.
Posters on site: Wed, 30 Apr, 16:15–18:00 | Hall X5
Over the past three decades, the daily maximum eight-hour and annual average concentrations of ozone in Taiwan have not significantly improved with the reduction of its precursors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). High ozone in the lower troposphere may be attributed to a variety of factors, mainly from localized photochemical formation and regional transport as well as minor stratospheric intrusions. Even though the total emissions of precursor VOCs have been significantly reduced in recent years, the reaction potential of different VOCs to ozone formation can vary by dozens of times, as well as their potential to generate SOA and their toxicity to organisms. The composition and quantity of many emission data are old and no longer meet the current conditions under today's new industrial equipment, process methods, new vehicles, engines, catalytic technologies, new lifestyle products and new emission regulations, showing the necessity of updating the emission composition of each major VOCs emission source. The long-term goal of this study is to gradually increase and update the VOC emission characteristics of various major types of emission sources (point sources, line sources, area sources, and biological sources) in the city. The first phase will focus on "mobile source" traffic emissions in urban areas. The composition analysis would be conducted based on vehicle exhaust, indoor parking lots, tunnel vehicle arrays and other sources. Furthermore, the traffic emission indicator, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), and complete combustion product, CO2, would be exploited to evaluate the VOC composition characteristics and emission factors of various emission sources.
How to cite: Chen, Y.-C., Chang, C.-Y., Kao, W., Liu, C.-Y., and Chang, C.-C.: Study and update on the characteristic composition of urban emission sources of ozone precursor VOCs in Taiwan, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2502, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2502, 2025.
The exhaust emissions from transport sector as well as their air quality impacts have been steadily decreasing in urban areas due to the more stringent emission limits. The secondary aerosol formation process from inorganic and organic gaseous precursors emitted by traffic remains poorly characterized and is likely very different for different vehicles. The aim of this study is to explore the influence of fuel, engine technology and aftertreatment systems on the secondary aerosol formation potential from exhaust emissions by different traffic sectors.
The measurement data utilized in this abstract originates both scientific literature and from various national and international projects spanning the period from 2014 to 2024, including both laboratory and field studies. In studies, secondary aerosol formation was investigated employing an oxidation flow reactor (OFR). In addition, in most studies a comprehensive characterization of the physical (e.g. particle number, size distribution, PM, volatility) and chemical properties (e.g. BC, organics, inorganics) of fresh (before OFR) and aged exhaust (after OFR) was conducted. The secondary aerosol formation potential is compared between transportation sectors as well as for different fuels, engine and aftertreatment technologies. The results from the conducted campaigns show a large variation in secondary aerosol formation potential for different vehicles and vessels. While conducted studies contribute to the analysis of factors influencing secondary aerosol formation, they also indicated significant gaps in our understanding regarding the secondary aerosol formation.
This work was supported by the European Union’s horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101096133 (PAREMPI: particle emission prevention and impact: from real-world emissions of traffic to secondary PM of urban air).
How to cite: Timonen, H., Aakko-Saksa, P., Barreira, L., Marjanen, P., Simon, L., Järvinen, A., Kuutti, H., Honkisz, W., Kylämäki, K., Jäppi, M., Salo, L., Rissanen, M., Červená, T., Vojtisek-Lom, M., Topinka, J., Bielaczyc, P., Rönkkö, T., and Saarikoski, S.: Secondary aerosol formation potential of vehicles representing different transport sectors, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8939, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8939, 2025.
Despite progress in emission reductions, motor vehicles are a significant contributor to urban air pollution, releasing emissions containing various compounds in both particulate and gas phases. Studies have shown that the highest emissions are exhibited during the cold start due to the inefficient operation of the catalyst and engine at low temperature (Kontses et al. 2020; Hu et al. 2023).
This study aims to enhance our understanding of cold-start emissions from passenger cars, which dominate urban traffic. To achieve this, emissions of a vehicle fleet were measured under realistic conditions within a parking garage. The measurements were conducted from November 27 to December 24, 2024, in an undergraduate parking garage with 250 parking spaces, located in a shopping mall in Patras, Greece. The particle phase was measured by a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) and a high-resolution proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) coupled to a CHARON inlet (Ionicon Analytik Inc.). Black carbon was quantified by an Aethalometer (AE33) and a Single Soot Photometer (SP2-XR). An Electrical Low-Pressure Impactor (ELPI, Dekati) was also operated on site. The gas-phase composition was characterized by the PTR-MS while trace gases such as NO, NO2, CO, CO2, O3 and SO2 were continuously monitored. For offline analysis, samples were collected using quartz filters and Tenax tubes. Additionally, the traffic flow was recorded at both the entrance and exit of the garage. Measurements of CO2 were conducted at six different locations in the garage and indicated that the measurements were representative of most of the volume of the structure.
The measured concentrations varied significantly during the day with peaks in the morning and the evening. The measurements of the traffic and the concentrations were combined to derive average emissions of gas and particulate phase pollutants per cold start and per kilogram of fuel.
References
Kontses, A., Triantafyllopoulos, G., Ntziachristos, L., and Samaras, Z. 2020. Particle number (PN) emissions from gasoline, diesel, LPG, CNG and hybrid-electric light-duty vehicles under real-world driving conditions, Atmos. Environ., 222, 117126.
Hu, J., Frey, H. C., and Boroujeni, B. Y. (2023). Contribution of cold starts to real-world trip emissions for light-duty gasoline vehicles. Atmosphere, 14, 35.
How to cite: Pavlidis, D., Kaltsonoudis, C., Androulakis, S., Vasilakopoulou, C., Argyropoulou, G., Christopoulou, C., Seitanide, K., and Pandis, S.: Real world cold-start emissions measurements in a parking garage, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6147, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6147, 2025.
Ultrafine particles (UFPs) are a critical component of urban air pollution, with potentially significant implications for public health due to their ability to translocate to different organs in the human body. Transportation remains a dominant source of UFPs. This study investigates the contribution of various emission sources, with a particular focus on transportation, to UFP concentrations across Europe. The results provide insight into spatial and seasonal variability of UFP sources, with detailed analyses for Barcelona, Paris, and Athens.
PMCAMx-UF simulates both the number and mass distributions of atmospheric aerosols (Fountoukis et al., 2012). It incorporates processes such as horizontal and vertical advection, dispersion, wet and dry deposition, nucleation, coagulation, and gas-phase chemistry. The Posner and Pandis (2015) zero-out source apportionment methodology was applied using PMCAMx-UF for January and July 2019, with a 36 x 36 km grid resolution for Europe and 1 x 1 km for each city studied.
Our simulations highlight the significant contribution of transportation to UFP concentrations, with notable seasonal and spatial variations. The PMCAMx-UF model’s predictions were compared with air quality monitoring data, demonstrating an overall good performance with some notable underprediction of N10 concentrations in certain urban areas.
Fountoukis, C., Riipinen, I., Van Der Gon, H. D., Charalampidis, P. E., Pilinis, C., Wiedensohler, A., O’Dowd, C., Putaud, J. P., Moerman, M., & Pandis, S. N. (2012). Simulating ultrafine particle formation in Europe using a regional CTM: contribution of primary emissions versus secondary formation to aerosol number concentrations. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 12(18), 8663–8677.
Posner, L. N., & Pandis, S. N. (2015b). Sources of ultrafine particles in the Eastern United States. Atmospheric Environment, 111, 103–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.03.033
How to cite: Poulikidi, E., Patoulias, D., and Pandis, S. N.: Transport and Ultrafine Particles: Source Apportionment Across Europe, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11826, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11826, 2025.
Primary particle emissions, and the formation of secondary aerosols through atmospheric processing, are believed to be the pollutant with the greatest public health impact. In general, it is known that exposure to emissions leads to increased pulmonary inflammation and respiratory symptoms aggravation due to oxidative stress and direct toxic injury. Within the AEROSOLS project, the biological impact of volatile/semi-volatile (V/S-V) primary and secondary compounds derived from the engine and exhaust systems of vehicles will be assessed. In particular, in vitro tests based on traditional cell cultures (i.e. submerged monolayer cultures) as well as human air-liquid-interface (ALI) organotypic airway tissue models derived from primary tracheobronchial epithelial cells will be performed to predict the effects of these compounds on animals and humans without ethical concerns. The ALI model is an alternative airway model in which differentiating primary airway cells cultured on microporous membrane scaffolds can be directly exposed to gases and aerosols at the air-liquid interface. Compared to submerged monolayer cultures, primary cells that undergo cellular differentiation can reproduce an in vivo–like transcriptional profile similar to that of human airway epithelium. Therefore, organotypic ALI airway models have a more realistic in vivo–like structure, as well as barrier properties and metabolic functions, similar to those found in vivo. In addition, ALI models can be dosed in a more human-relevant manner than that in submerged cultures. Within the AEROSOLS project, human alveolar adenocarcinoma A549 epithelial cells are initially used for the safety evaluation of the key V/S-V compounds on traditional cell cultures or on VITROCELL® Essentials ALI exposure system (VITROCELL SYSTEMS GmbH, Waldkirch, Germany). In vitro cytotoxicity of V/S-V compounds is assessed following standard protocols, while further studies on genotoxicity, mutagenicity/carcinogenicity and immunotoxicity are performed. Additionally, the potential of these compounds to induce oxidation stress and inflammation is studied as it is known that these parameters are strongly related to the development of respiratory diseases. These results will be helpful to categorize and prioritize the V/S-V compounds based on their health impact.
Acknowledgement: This research was funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme within the AEROSOLS project under grant agreement No. 101096912 and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee [grant numbers 10092043 and 10100997].
How to cite: Sideratou, Z., Mavroidi, B., Katsaros, F., and Zeraati-Rezaei, S.: In vitro assessment of biological impact of volatile/semi-volatile primary and secondary emissions derived from vehicles, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20134, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20134, 2025.
The study investigated the total concentrations, toxicity, and health risks of 16 carcinogenic priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in street dust collected from urban areas in Warsaw, Poland. Samples were analyzed across six granulometric fractions. Dust was collected from 149 sampling points divided between Area 1 (central Warsaw districts, left bank of the Vistula River, dominated by traffic-related pollution) and Areas 2 and 3 (suburban residential areas, right bank of the river).
Street dust was assessed both as a whole (“all”) and after separation into five size fractions: (1–0.8 mm, “0.8”), (0.8–0.6 mm, “0.6”), (0.6–0.4 mm, “0.4”), (0.4–0.2 mm, “0.2”), and (below 0.2 mm, “<0.2”). The average ΣPAH concentration was 3.21 mg/kg in Area 1 and 0.89 mg/kg in Areas 2 and 3. Collectively for all areas, the ΣBaPTPE values were 318.3, 83.5, 131.1, 81.4, 164.3, and 339.7 ng/g for “all”, “0.8”, “0.6”, “0.4”, “0.2”, and “<0.2”, respectively. Notable differences in ΣBaPTPE values were observed among the fractions and areas, with the “<0.2” fraction showing the highest values: 339.7 ng/g across all areas, 318.9 ng/g in Area 1, and 531.6 ng/g in Areas 2 and 3. Coarser fractions (“0.8”, “0.6”, and “0.4”) consistently had the lowest average ΣBaPTPE values.
Cancer risk levels for children and adults were comparable for dermal contact and ingestion, ranging from 10⁻⁵ to 10⁻⁴, while risks from inhalation were significantly lower, ranging from 10⁻¹⁰ to 10⁻⁸. Thus, inhalation of resuspended street dust poses negligible risk compared to other exposure pathways.
These findings suggest a pressing need for both scientific and governmental interventions to mitigate the health risks posed by PAHs in urban street dust. Specifically, the spatial analysis of PAH concentrations revealed that areas with high-density development and traffic exhibit the greatest pollution, further emphasizing the need for targeted strategies to reduce emissions in such locations.
Future research should extend this investigation across different seasons to capture potential temporal variations in PAH concentrations due to seasonal activities and environmental conditions. Additionally, refining health risk assessments through the incorporation of locally specific exposure scenarios could provide more precise estimates of the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks to Warsaw's residents. Such efforts will not only deepen our understanding of urban pollution but also inform policies aimed at safeguarding public health from the adverse effects of PAHs in street dust.
Acknowledgments
This research was funded in whole by the National Science Centre (Poland), grant number 2021/43/D/ST10/00996. This work was supported by a subsidy from the Polish Ministry of Education and Science for the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences. The authors would like to thank Dominika Kwiecień, a student who participated in the field and laboratory and Klaudia Tetfejer for contributing her technical expertise and for assisting with data collection.
How to cite: Dytłow, S. K., Karasiński, J., and Torres-Elguera, J. C.: Granulometric Insights into PAH Concentrations and Health Risks: A Study of Urban Street Dust in Warsaw, Poland, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-258, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-258, 2025.
Indoor ventilation optimization is important for air quality, thermal comfort, and airborne transmissions of infectious droplets, but research on cruise ships is scarce, especially across whole year seasons. How to weigh air quality and human comfort is an essential and practical issue. We utilize numerical simulations verified by field experiments to examine the thermal comfort and infection risk under natural ventilation and air-conditioning ventilation in various seasons. The scientific problem of this study is the proper utilization of natural and mechanical ventilation at the inter-annual scale to provide a good environment for passengers in the transportation environment. The effect of window opening configurations and ambient wind directions on natural ventilation has been explored. Varying filtration efficiencies are considered for air conditioners. The Monte Carlo method and dose-response model are adopted to quantify infection risk (IR).
Results reveal that surrounding turbulent airflows create positive pressure on the windward side ship's surface and negative pressure on the leeward side. Compared to driving following wind and against the wind, the best ventilation in the cabin occurs during side wind, due to the large windward area with an air change rate per hour (ACH) above 61.78 h-1. In spring and fall, opening all side windows provides good thermal comfort (-1<PMV<+1) and maintains low IR (median below 0.61%, 95% CI: 0.27% to 2.00%). However, thermal comfort decreases and mechanical ventilation is required in summer and winter. When using mechanical ventilation, comfort is improved (PMV=-0.21). However, the median IR reaches 6.14% (95% CI: 5.71% to 7.87%) under recirculating air conditioners. With filtration efficiency increasing to 30%, the median IR decreases to 0.79% (95% CI: 0.82% to 1.02%). Threshold analysis indicates that a filtration efficiency of 14.06% is the threshold to decrease IR effectively. To ensure human thermal comfort and infection risk, windows can be opened for natural ventilation when the temperature is suitable. However, if mechanical ventilation is required, an air conditioner system with a filtering and sterilization function must be adopted.
How to cite: luo, Q. and Hang, J.: Inter-annual optimization of ventilation strategies in cruise ships: Integrating thermal comfort and infection risk mitigation across seasonal variations, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6520, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6520, 2025.
Black carbon (BC), primarily emitted from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, is a significant short-lived climate forcer that increasingly contributes to global climate change and environmental pollution. The BC properties in regions such as Eastern China (EC), Indian Subcontinent (IS), Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and Central South America (CSA) play a crucial role in global emissions due to intensive human activities and biomass burning, affecting air quality, climate change, and human health. Utilizing MERRA-2 reanalysis data and emission inventories, we quantified the long-term spatiotemporal variations and vertical distributions of atmospheric BC, along with anthropogenic emissions across various sectors (2000–2023). Additionally, we comprehensively explored the formation mechanisms of extreme cases in representative cities (Beijing, Delhi, Luanda, and Sucre) in these four regions, integrating meteorological conditions, potential source contribution function and concentration-weighted trajectory analysis. The results indicate consistent annual trends in BC surface concentration (BCSurface) and column density (BCColumn). BC concentrations in IS, SSA, and CSA exhibit an increasing trend, while EC shows a decreasing trend. In EC and IS, BC is primarily from anthropogenic emissions, whereas in SSA and CSA, biomass combustion predominates. Notable variations in anthropogenic BC emissions exist across different regions, with all sectors in SSA exhibiting a marked upward trend. Seasonal patterns are influenced by local meteorological conditions and emissions from both anthropogenic and biomass burning sources. In EC and IS, BC concentrations decline rapidly from 1000 to 850 hPa, while in SSA and CSA, the decline is slower in the lower atmosphere, with a rapid decrease around 700 hPa. High-concentration BC events in representative cities are linked to the interaction of local emissions, adverse meteorological conditions, and regional atmospheric circulation. Our study quantifies the long-term characteristics of BC in major global source regions from multiple perspectives, providing valuable scientific insights for both regional and global atmospheric environmental research and management.
How to cite: Zhang, Y., Han, Y., Liu, Y., Deng, X., Lu, T., Zhou, Q., and Dong, L.: Long-term Assessment of Black Carbon Variation and Mechanisms Driving Extreme Events in Major Global Source Regions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-355, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-355, 2025.
Industrial and power plant emissions are among the major contributors to air pollution in India, accounting for 37% of atmospheric PM2.5 emissions, with significant implications for climate change and human health. These emissions, primarily resulting from combustion processes, include carbonaceous aerosols such as particulate matter and light-absorbing carbon. The type of fuel used, the air pollution control technology implemented, and the industrial processes adopted heavily influence emissions from industrial sources. Aerosol optical properties, such as the mass absorption cross-section (MAC) and mass scattering coefficients (MSC), are critical for regional climate assessments. This study presents real-world measurements of MACs and MSCs from iron & steel, and thermal power plant emissions under Indian conditions. Stack emission measurements were conducted in real-world settings at iron and steel plants and thermal power plants, using the Versatile Source Sampling System (VS3). The VS3 system allowed a fraction of stack emissions to pass through an isokinetic particle sampling probe into a dilution tunnel, ensuring homogeneous mixing, negligible wall losses, and complete aerosol quenching. Dilution ratios of 20–60 with zero air simulated atmospheric dilution conditions. PM2.5 mass was collected on various filter substrates for gravimetric and chemical analyses. Particle absorption and scattering were measured using an Aethalometer (AE33) and a Nephelometer (IN102), respectively, while the light-absorbing carbonaceous fraction of PM2.5 was analysed on quartz filters using a thermal-optical reflectance analyser. PM2.5 emission factors from iron & steel (sponge iron) and thermal power plants are 0.11 – 0.16 and 0.07 – 0.44 g/kg of fuel used respectively. MAC values (m²/g PM2.5) were determined to range from 0.01 – 0.14 m²/g PM2.5 for iron and steel plants and 0.03 – 0.29 m²/g PM2.5 for thermal power plants. The EC, and OC emission factors and other optical properties including MSCs, AAE, and SSA will be discussed for these industries in the paper. Findings from this study have significant implications for climate assessments and the development of policies aimed at improving air quality, particularly for the major sources in the industrial sector.
How to cite: Gowda, K., Khan, M. S., Habib, G., Kumar, R., and Chaudhary, S. R.: Climate Relevant Properties of Aerosol Emissions from Iron & Steel and Thermal Power Plant Emissions in India, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19470, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19470, 2025.
The complexity of the shipping industry, with its dynamic operational drivers and diverse data sources, presents significant scalability challenges for digital twins. Agentic Large Language Models (LLMs), augmented with external tools, offer a promising solution to streamline operations and improve decision-making. By leveraging pre-trained knowledge and reasoning capabilities, these LLMs can autonomously select the most relevant tools and data streams, facilitating real-time decision-making that optimizes ship routes, fuel consumption, and operational efficiency.
In this demonstration, we explore how agentic LLMs can enhance the scalability, flexibility, and efficiency of digital twins in shipping by optimising route planning with consideration for weather conditions, fuel consumption, and speed. By integrating weather data and analysing trade-offs between fuel consumption, speed, and routing choices, the system enables more effective decision-making to balance operational goals with environmental considerations. This approach facilitates a deeper understanding of how shipping operations can be adjusted for reduced emissions and improved fuel efficiency while considering the complexities of real-world constraints.
We showcase how this agentic digital twin solution supports more efficient route optimisation, ultimately contributing to the shipping industry’s transition to low-carbon fuels and reduced environmental impacts. This interactive system demonstrates the potential of agentic LLMs to reduce operational complexity and improve the practical application of digital twins in real-world settings.
How to cite: O'Donncha, F., Langbridge, A., Timms, A., Antonopoulos, A., Mygiakis, A., and Voulgari, E.: Agentic AI for ship routing, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19197, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19197, 2025.
Shipping emissions are an important source of Particulate Matter (PM) associated with an estimated 400,000 premature deaths per year globally. These negative effects on air quality disproportionately impact port and coastal communities, which include many of the world’s largest cities. Despite the English Channel being the busiest shipping lane in the world, and in close proximity to many major cities, the physicochemical characterisation of shipping emissions and their contribution to air quality in the UK remains understudied.
Coarse (PM10-2.5) and fine (PM2.5-0.1) PM samples were collected between 2017 and 2020 at the UK port of Southampton. This port is Europe’s leading turnaround cruise port, handling 86% of all UK cruise passenger traffic in 2023. In addition, Southampton is one of the UK's major gateway container ports, being the UK’s leading vehicle import/export and deep-sea trade port, attracting some of the world's largest ships. Importantly, as Southampton is located centrally on the south coast of England, this falls within the North Sea Emission Control Area and therefore, ships in this area are subject to the most stringent fuel restrictions of 0.1% S, or equivalent exhaust cleaning.
To determine the contribution of shipping emissions to air quality, a positive matrix factorisation source apportionment model was generated using PM elemental concentrations measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The shipping fuel combustion factor was characterised by the traditional tracers of V and Ni within the expected ratio (V/Ni = 2.6) indicative of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) associated shipping. However, Co was identified as a novel tracer species, which may be an artefact from the catalysis of fuel desulfurisation. The final five-factor model found that shipping fuel contributed almost exclusively to fine PM, rather than coarse PM, with an average contribution of 15% fine PM at the Port. This contribution was significantly elevated between April and September, representing the peak cruise shipping season.
To study the spatial spread of PM emissions, samples of tree bark were used, as airborne particles can become trapped in the bark structure. This biomonitoring approach represents a cost- and time-effective alternative to the use of multiple PM-sampling sites. Here, samples of bark from lime (Tilia spp.), oak (Quercus spp.) and aspen (Populus tremula) trees were collected at locations across the city of Southampton. The elemental concentration of the identified shipping tracers Ni and Co in the bark samples were investigated (V was unsuitable as a tracer due to uptake by bark lichens). This showed that concentrations of Ni and Co in tree bark displayed an exponential increase with increasing proximity to the port. Our data suggest deposited concentrations 300 m from the port are 2.5x higher than 2.2 km away and 4x greater than 6 km away.
Collectively the contribution of shipping emissions to port city PM, and the spread of these emissions identified in this study underline the importance of including shipping in strategies to improve air quality. These strategies would be aided by a better understanding of the key aspects of port and shipping activity which drive these emissions.
How to cite: Easton, N., Sivyer, A., Cooper, M., Dean, L., Parkin, J., Michalik, A., Bray, S., Davies, D., Teagle, D., Foster, G., and Loxham, M.: Source apportionment and biomonitoring approaches to quantify the contribution and spatial spread of particulate matter from shipping in a major UK port city, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7152, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7152, 2025.
Air quality is a key aspect of present environmental discussions. Due to the global networking of individual mobility and goods traffic as well as the long-distance transport of pollutants, air pollution now has not only a regional but also continental, European, and intercontinental dimensions. Today, millions of people currently living in polluted regions and are exposed to concentration levels of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, leading to increased mortality rates. To protect human health, limit values have been set throughout Europe. The newly proposed limit values by the European commission for nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter are currently exceeded in most cities in Europe.
Substantial health benefits may be achieved through political mitigation strategies. This requires a strategy for monitoring cross-border air pollution and quantifying the contributions by source groups and regions of origin. For area-wide analyses and statements detailed, temporally and spatially high-resolution approaches based on chemistry transport models (CTMs) are typically carried out. CTMs aim to reproduce observed pollution variability as good as possible and can be used to forecast air pollution. CTMs can further be used to perform source attribution studies. However, near real-time (NRT) information on the contribution to air pollutants for different emission sources is so far limited.
Within the MI-TRAP project, we are setting up a NRT transport-oriented source apportionment service by provision of a daily analyses of hourly averaged concentrations of the priority pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO and NO2) in the urban background. By avoiding the use of city-specific proprietary data we will create a highly scalable solution for NRT mapping for cities in Europe. Through a nesting procedure we will provide the information of the background concentration in 10 cities on a ~1x1 km² horizontal grid resolution. The LOTOS EUROS model is used in a NRT operational configuration with meteorological input data from the German Weather Service (DWD) and with emissions as provided through CAMS-REG. Local emissions will be incorporated after a separate NRT emission modelling.
We will calculate the contribution of the different transport modes at the urban background scale using the source apportionment functionality of the LOTOS-EUROS model. The model contains a labelling approach for particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, allowing to flexibly track the contributions of predefined source categories for regions, sectors or combinations thereof. The contributions are calculated and tracked for each process description in the model and are valid for current atmospheric conditions, since all chemical transformations occur at the same concentrations of oxidants.
First results show that combustion processes from traffic, industry & energy production and residential heating are the most important domestic sources. The contributions from residential combustion, energy & industry, shipping and agriculture vary significantly from region to region and between the seasons. The largest variation from day to day and between night and day were observed for road transport. The contribution from non-road transport is most important along the main shipping routes.
We aim to present the results of the first model simulations and its evaluation against observations at the conference.
How to cite: Thürkow, M., Kranenburg, R., Banzhaf, S., Jäckel, I., and Schaap, M.: Modelling the source contribution in the urban background of major air pollutants for 10 European cities in near-real time with LOTOS-EUROS, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15650, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15650, 2025.
Road traffic is a major contributor to ultrafine particles and to PM2.5. The contribution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), in particular of intermediate (IVOC) and low (SVOC) volatility is still uncertain. One reason is that species are not in emission inventories, another reason is that their pathways to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA) are strongly simplified in chemistry-transport models (CTM). In the framework of the EASVOLEE project, the CTM LOTOS-EUROS is being updated to better account for SOA formation and to better describe particle size and number from road traffic.
To this end, the LOTOS-EUROS model has recently been extended with the CB7 chemistry scheme. This scheme includes more VOC species and more detailed organic chemistry than the operational CBM4 chemistry scheme. This update also allows for the uptake of the developments of Manavi and Pandis (2022, 2024) to efficiently include SOA formation from road transport S/I/VOCs. In addition, the Volatility Basis Set (VBS) scheme was updated to make the model for SOA more accurate and faster. LOTOS-EUROS has adopted the SALSA2 module to model particle size distributions and particle number concentrations. In the near future, the organic vapors from the VBS calculations will be coupled to SALSA2 to investigate the impact of condensable organic vapors to ultrafine particle concentrations and size distributions. The model will then use new road emissions from the EASVOLEE project to represent the contribution of road transport to particle number concentrations and PM2.5. The envisaged model approach and preliminary results will be presented.
How to cite: Manders, A., Janssen, R., Bohte, Q., Hohenberger, T., El Malki, M., Schaap, M., and Kuenen, J.: Modelling of road contributions to PM2.5 and particle number concentrations with the LOTOS-EUROS model, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15913, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15913, 2025.
The main objective of this research was to evaluate the seasonal variability of PM10-bonded polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their sources and analyse their health impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic period. PM10samples were collected in Krakow in 2020-2021. The chemical composition of PM10 in terms of the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was carried out using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. A total of 92 samples of particulate matter (PM10 fraction) were analysed. The analyses contained 16 basic PAHs identified by the US EPA as the most harmful. Acenaphtene (Acn), Acenaphthylene (Acy), Anthracene (Ant), Benzo[b]fluoranthene (B[b]F), Benzo[a]anthracene (B[a]A), Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), Benzo[ghi]perylene (B[ghi]P), Benzo[k]fluoranthene (B[k]F), Chrysene (Chry), Dibenzo[ah]anthracene (D[ah]A), Fluoranthene (Flt), Fluorene (Flu), Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IP), Naphthalene (Nap), and Phenanthrene (Phen) and Pyrene (Pyr). The information obtained on the concentrations of PAHs was used to determine the profiles of pollution sources, exposure profiles, and the values of toxic equivalency factors recommended by the EPA: mutagenic equivalent to B [a] P (ang. mutagenic equivalent, MEQ), toxic equivalent to B[a]P (ang. toxic equivalent, TEQ) and carcinogenic equivalent to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodienzo-p-dioxin (ang. carcinogenic equivalent, CEQ). In addition, the air trajectory frequency analysis were performed to obtain information on the possibility of transporting pollutants from selected areas in the vicinity of the studied site. The analyses were performed using the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory's HYSPLIT model (Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model) developed by the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Interpreting the trajectory results provided information on the nature of air pollution sources.
Acknowledgement: This research project was supported by the programme "Excellence Initiative – Research University" for the AGH University of Krakow, Poland [project no. 501.696.7996 L34,D.4,V ed.,wn. 10457
How to cite: Jakhar, R., Furman, P., Skiba, A., Widel, D., Zimnoch, M., Samek, L., and Styszko, K.: Seasonal Trends, Sources, and Health Impacts of PAH-Bound PM10 in Krakow Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4876, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4876, 2025.
Previous studies have explored the exchange effect between atmospheric condition and PM2.5 variation to understand their relationship. However, most works pay attention to a specific date or month when a severe pollution event happened. East Asia has experienced rapid economic development, well known for extreme PM2.5 concentration events, particularly in winter. In this study, we applied EOF analysis to classify high and low PM2.5 years from 1982-2022. We use three reanalysis data such as NOAA OISST, MERRA2, and ERA5 for sea surface temperature, PM2.5, and climate factors including temperature, precipitation, and winds. The first mode EOF explains winter PM2.5 variation with 55.85% (2nd mode: 18.4% and 3rd mode: 5.6%). The first mode of EOF timeseries indicates eleven high years from 2002 to 2013 and nine low years from 1991 to 1999 (over ±0.5σ). The high PM2.5 events are related to sea surface temperature (PDO-like pattern) and wind over the eastern Pacific. Vertical velocity is not a key factor during the winter but has a weak impact on vertical dispersion.
How to cite: Park, S. and Yoon, J.-S.: Understanding the impacts of climatic background on winter PM2.5 over East Asia, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14936, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14936, 2025.
To reduce the primary emissions of traffic and therefore the harm caused to humans and the environment, alternative fuels, for example Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), have been developed. However, the amount of secondary particles, that are formed in the atmosphere from gaseous precursors such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), can even exceed primary particle emissions. Their emissions and formation mechanisms remain poorly understood.
As a part of a larger project, the primary and secondary emissions of seven passenger cars were measured. In this study, three cars are compared: a Euro 6d-TEMP CNG (model year 2020, gasoline as a backup fuel), a Euro 6b gasoline (2015) and a Euro 4 diesel (2006) vehicle. All the vehicles had an oxidation catalyst, but no particulate filter. The measurements were done on a chassis dynamometer, which was in a temperature-controlled test cell with test temperatures of -9, 23, and 35 ˚C. The test cycle simulated Real Driving Emissions (RDE) and was 72 min and 47 km long.
The raw exhaust was diluted with a porous tube diluter (PTD) and an ejector diluter (ED), and then characterized physically and chemically. For example, the VOC spectra of the fresh exhaust was measured with a Proton Transfer Reaction Time of Flight mass spectrometer PTR-ToF-CIMS (VOCUS, Aerodyne Research, US). This instrument allows high time and mass resolution analysis of the spectra.
Based on the preliminary results, the VOC composition in the CNG and the diesel car exhaust was similar, with emphasis on oxygenated VOCs. In contrast, the gasoline car emitted more aromatic, polyaromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. The VOC concentrations from the CNG car were on average lower than from the diesel car, but the CNG car emitted higher concentrations at cold start and at highway. The VOC concentrations from the gasoline vehicle were also highest at cold start and at highway during the cycle.
In summary, the CNG vehicle seems to emit low VOC concentrations, and the emitted compounds have low secondary aerosol formation potential. However, at cold start and during high engine load, the concentrations increase greatly, potentially due to gasoline usage. This study provided new information about the VOC composition in a CNG car exhaust and supported previous studies in terms of diesel and gasoline cars.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101096133 (PAREMPI: Particle emission prevention and impact: from real world emissions of traffic to secondary PM of urban air).
How to cite: Kylämäki, K. and the PAREMPI project team: Volatile Organic Compound concentrations in the exhaust of a natural gas, a gasoline, and a diesel passenger car under various driving conditions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-9086, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9086, 2025.
Health effects associated with aerosol exposure have been widely studied, demonstrating a positive association with mortality and poor health from a diversity of ailments. Emissions from vehicular traffic have been a major source of air pollutants, especially in urban and highly-populated environments, and emissions controls have considerably reduced the amount of aerosol from these sources. Nevertheless, policy based on mass concentration alone overlooks the possibility that certain aerosol sources may be more toxic than others. To address this, oxidative potential (OP) has been used as a metric that incorporates these properties, and ties in together mass and toxicity into a single metric that is a proxy of oxidative stress – thought to be a mechanism associated with adverse health effects from particulate matter exposure.
In this work, we focus on evaluating the oxidative potential of vehicular emissions using the dithiothreitol assay (DTT) during various field observations conducted as part of the EASOLEE project. Emissions from controlled environmental and driving conditions were characterized to compare diverse types of vehicles. Real driving conditions for large vehicle fleets inside a 12 km underground tunnel connecting France with Italy, as well as emissions from an underground parking lot were characterized. Our results showed a lower OP mass normalized (OPm) for fresh particles compared to aged particles. Diesel vehicles (47±67 pmol DTT min-1 μg-1) also exhibited a lower OPm when compared to scooters and gasoline vehicles (142±193 pmol DTT min-1 μg-1 and 130±75 pmol DTT min-1 μg-1 respectively). Measurements in the tunnel also revealed a lower OPm on average than previous studies (below 6 pmol DTT min-1 μg-1), possibly from the usage of a more modern ventilation system; in all cases, aging of the primary emissions led to more OP-active aerosol, with an enhancement of up to a factor of 10 in some cases. The implications therefore are that health impacts of particles away from their sources, especially certain types of vehicles, may be affected by increases of their toxicity from atmospheric aging.
How to cite: Molina, C., Pavlidis, D., Argyropoulou, G., Aktypis, A., Christopoulou, C., Kaltsonoudis, C., Chen, Y., Wang, Y., Bell, D. M., Prevot, A. S. H., Pandis, S., George, C., Comte, P., and Nenes, A.: Exploring the oxidative potential of vehicles emissions from bench dynamometer to underground tunnels and parking lots , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18158, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18158, 2025.
Understanding the interactions between jet engine soot and exhaust plume vapor components, such as water vapour and benzene, is crucial for assessing post-combustion soot modification and the resulting impact on the environment and human health. This study focuses on the adsorption and desorption of single component exhaust plume species, namely, water vapor and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with varying physicochemical properties, on soot particles derived from different combustion conditions, thus providing fundamental insights into the vapor-solid partitioning process and, therefore, the thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms governing soot aging in jet exhaust plumes.
Model jet soot particles were synthesized by two methods: (1) enclosed spray combustion using Jet-Al fuel, which contains surface-adsorbed organic compounds, and (2) controlled oxidation of carbon black to mimic the physicochemical properties of jet soot without any adsorbed organic compounds to separate the role of soot core-shell structure, porosity, and surface chemistry on the solid-vapour partitioning process. Water vapor and VOCs adsorption isotherms, including components relevant to jet exhaust (e.g., toluene and benzene), were measured on soot powders using gravimetric dynamic vapor sorption under precisely controlled temperature and partial pressure conditions. Preliminary results indicated Type II isotherms for VOCs, driven by soot’s functional groups and particle surface area. Thermodynamic analysis of adsorption isotherms showed a moderate enthalpy of adsorption (31.8–45.4 kJ/mol) at low surface coverage and ambient temperature, consistent with a physisorption mechanism. Kinetic modeling using the linear driving force (LDF) and stretched exponential (SE) diffusion models showed that single aromatic species followed the LDF mechanism, displaying rapid adsorption kinetics (average k=0.016 s-1), indicative of interparticle void filling. In contrast, water vapor adsorption mainly followed the Fickian diffusion mechanism and was much slower (average k=0.001 s-1), possibly due to intraparticle diffusion of water vapor to oxygen functional groups on the edges of graphitic planes.
This study highlights how soot's physicochemical properties, such as pore size distribution, surface area, and surface chemistry, govern adsorption characteristics that control solid-vapor partitioning. By investigating the fundamental sorption mechanisms, these findings could advance our understanding of atmospheric jet soot aging and provide a foundation for modeling multicomponent vapor interactions in complex, real-world environments. The results could also inform strategies for mitigating the environmental and health impacts of aviation emissions through modifications to the combustion process.
How to cite: Liang, Y., Bell, J., Artiglia, L., Ammann, M., and Edebeli, J.: Model Study of Water Vapor and VOCs Adsorption on Bulk Jet Engine Soot Particles: Thermodynamic and Kinetic Aspects, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15808, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15808, 2025.
The use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as shipping fuel has increased in recent years with the most popular way to use LNG in low-pressure dual-fuel (LPDF) engines together with diesel fuel for ignition. Lower sulphur and nitrogen oxides, together with lower particulate emissions are reported with LNG use compared to diesel use. Moreover, CO2 emissions are lower as well but there is an issue with the methane slip with the LNG used in low-pressure dual fuel engines. The methane being a strong greenhouse gas and regulations introduced to consider methane emissions from ships, have made the engine manufacturers to take further development steps in preventing the methane slip. By today, there are still only few studies presenting emissions of methane from LNG-powered vessels with engines built in 2020 or after. The present study provides the results of the emission studies conducted onboard two LNG-powered vessels built in 2021 and 2022. The first campaign took place on-board a Ro-Pax ferry (built in 2021) operating in the Baltic Sea and the second was conducted on-board a cruise ship (built in 2022) operating in the Mediterranean.
The results indicate that the current state-of-the-art LPDF engines show lower methane levels compared to previous studies, which is good news when thinking of the climate effects. Air pollution levels from LNG use are again proven to be lower than from diesel use, contributing to better air quality. Overall, LNG is considered to be a transition fuel and the technologies developed today should be capable of utilizing biobased gas or a renewable synthetic in origin. Methane slip minimization and avoiding other pollutants produced are not only important today but also for future fuels, even though such fuels could be produced sustainably.
Acknowledgements: This research was funded by European Union, grant number 101056642.
How to cite: Lehtoranta, K., Kuittinen, N., Vesala, H., and Aakko-Saksa, P.: Methane emissions from LNG-powered vessels, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-21415, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-21415, 2025.
Posters virtual: Wed, 30 Apr, 14:00–15:45 | vPoster spot 5
EGU25-2082 | ECS | Posters virtual | VPS3
Exploring the Nexus of Two-Wheeler Gaseous Contributions and Driver Exposure in a Million-Plus Population CityWed, 30 Apr, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP5.30
In Indian metropolitan cities, two-wheelers (2W) constitute 60–70% of traffic, making their emissions a significant contributor to urban air pollution. This study measured 2W exhaust emissions and driver exposure under real-world traffic conditions in the Chennai metropolitan area. Emission factors for CO, HC, and NO were 1.1, 0.02, and 0.03 g/km, respectively. However, limited studies on 2W are available due to the complexity of real-world measurements in Indian traffic conditions. The gaseous emissions from the measured vehicles are lower than their respective Bharat Stage (BS) standards except for CO. Personal exposure levels for PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 were 212.5, 78.1, and 58.9 µg/m³, with the highest exposures occurring during idling and driving behind heavy-duty vehicles. The Multiple Particle Path Dosimetry (MPPD) model was used to estimate the deposition fractions in the human respiratory tract (HRT). Results indicated that PM2.5 and PM1 deposition fractions are higher in the pulmonary region, whereas PM10 deposition is higher in the head region. 2W drivers are exposed to higher concentrations than any other motor vehicle driver. Since there is no substantiation of a tolerable limit of PM1 exposure or a threshold beyond which no detrimental health implications occur, cautious planning is needed when developing the roads.
How to cite: Ranjan, S., K. Kuppili, S., and Nagendra SM, S.: Exploring the Nexus of Two-Wheeler Gaseous Contributions and Driver Exposure in a Million-Plus Population City, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2082, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2082, 2025.
EGU25-5764 | ECS | Posters virtual | VPS3
Volatile organic compounds in ambient air of DelhiWed, 30 Apr, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP5.31
Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world with a rapidly growing population. Huge amount of VOCs is released into the atmosphere from both anthropogenic and biogenic emissions. Various types of VOCs are released from anthropogenic sources such as disinfectants and cleansers, paints and varnishes, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, room fresheners, dry cleaners and organic solvents. Another important anthropogenic source is burning of fossil fuels in motor vehicles, which also releases VOCs. Various plants species also release VOCs like isoprene (biogenic VOCs) which upon oxidation with atmospheric oxidants like ozone (O3), nitrate (NO3) and hydroxyl radicals (OH) forms less volatile products which on further reaction forms secondary organic aerosols (SOA). VOCs are also responsible for formation of tropospheric ozone which is one of the major criterion air pollutants and causes various health issues.
Around 32 samples of VOCs have been collected in the NCT of Delhi using charcoal tubes from the selected sites, VIZ., Okhla Phase 2 (OKHL, Industrial site), Sri Aurobindo Marg (SAM, traffic intervention site), Income tax office (ITO, traffic intervention site), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU, Institutional site). Sample preparation has been done following the protocol given by NIOSH 1501 method for xylene analysis, which is widely accepted as a “golden standard” for Industrial Hygiene sampling. Collected samples were run on GC-FID and concentration of VOCs is determined. The average concentration of Total VOCs at SAM is found to be 382.07µg/m3 while it is 200.14, 242.63 and 452.62 µg/m3 at JNU, OKHL and ITO, respectively. Out of all the VOCS, benzene and toluene represents the highest percentage with benzene representing a percentage of 17% and 18% at SAM, JNU, Okhla and ITO, respectively and Toluene contributing to a percentage concentration of 15% , 13%, 16% and 15% respectively at SAM , JNU, Okhla and ITO thus owing to high vehicular emissions in Delhi. Individual average concentration at evening is higher than individual average concentration at morning at all chosen sites. Also individual concentration of benzene and toluene is higher than other VOCs being 64.14 µg/m3 and 59.13 µg/m3 respectively at SAM, 35.64 µg/m3 and 25.83 µg/m3 at JNU, 79.6 µg/m3 and 69.9 µg/m3 at ITO and 41.92 µg/m3 and 37.80 µg/m3 at Okhla. It has planned to evaluate both the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk associated with the chosen VOCs. This research will help us to get knowledge of sources of emission of VOCs. Further we will get a knowledge of the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic impacts of VOCs and the percentage of population in Delhi which is getting directly or indirectly exposed to the carcinogenic VOCs. Hence it would help us in determining the health risk associated with VOC emission which would help in formulating effective strategies for controlling VOC emission. This would further aid us in reducing tropospheric ozone which is also a pollutant of concern. This study can also be used further in understanding atmospheric chemical reactions, photochemical smog pollution, assessment and forecast of possible change in atmospheric environment on the regional/global scale.
How to cite: Sharma, R.: Volatile organic compounds in ambient air of Delhi, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5764, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5764, 2025.
EGU25-16374 | ECS | Posters virtual | VPS3
Voyage Optimization with the VISIR-2 Model on the Shanghai–Los Angeles Green Corridor of shippingWed, 30 Apr, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP5.32
In 2018, international shipping accounted for significant anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, contributing approximately 740 million tons of CO₂ according to the voyage-based method of the Fourth International Maritime Organization (IMO) Greenhouse Gases Study [1] and 880 million tons based on the CEDS and EDGAR inventories [2]. Recognizing this impact, the IMO adopted a long-term strategy in 2023 to achieve decarbonisation of global shipping by mid-century. However, concrete measures remain under development. A recent assessment of the 2018–2022 period suggests emissions are once again approaching 2008 levels, attributed to stagnation in improving energy efficiency [3]. This highlights the urgency of evaluating the potential of operational measures to mitigate emissions.
Voyage optimization, or ship weather routing, is an operational strategy leveraging meteo-oceanographic data to minimize energy consumption. This reduction can be achieved through spatial diversions, speed variations, or a combination of both. VISIR-2 [4], an open-source Python-based model, computes least-CO₂ routes by optimizing spatial diversions. Using a validated graph-search algorithm, the model integrates ocean currents and avoids adverse sea conditions [5].
In this study, we apply VISIR-2 to an ocean-going vessel operating on the Shanghai–Los Angeles/Long Beach route, identified as one of the first green corridors of shipping [6]. Simulations are conducted for both eastbound and westbound voyages over an entire calendar year, with and without the influence of ocean currents. We evaluate the resulting CO₂ savings, analysing their dependence on engine load and environmental conditions.
These results demonstrate the potential of operational measures like voyage optimization to contribute to shipping decarbonisation. The VISIR-2 model is currently employed within the EDITO-Model Lab project [7], contributing to developing a digital twin of the ocean. This work underscores the importance of open-source tools in fostering sustainable maritime practices and achieving the IMO's decarbonisation goals.
References
[1] https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/Environment/Pages/Fourth-IMO-Greenhouse-Gas-Study-2020.aspx
[2] Deng, S., Mi, Z. A review on carbon emissions of global shipping. Mar Dev 1, 4 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44312-023-00001-2
[3] https://www.shippingandoceans.com/post/international-shipping-emissions-return-to-peak-2008-levels-due-to-insufficient-energy-efficiency-im
[4] https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8305526
[5] Mannarini, G., Salinas, M. L., Carelli, L., Petacco, N., and Orović, J.: VISIR-2: ship weather routing in Python, Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 4355–4382, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-4355-2024, 2024
[6] https://www.c40.org/news/la-shanghai-implementation-plan-outline-green-shipping-corridor/
[7] https://www.edito-modellab.eu/
How to cite: Salinas, M. L. and Mannarini, G.: Voyage Optimization with the VISIR-2 Model on the Shanghai–Los Angeles Green Corridor of shipping, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16374, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16374, 2025.
EGU25-15097 | ECS | Posters virtual | VPS3
Advancing load-dependent emission factors for ships: Integrating alternative fuels, biofuels, and control technologiesWed, 30 Apr, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP5.33
Shipping is a high-energy-consuming sector and a significant source of climate-related and harmful pollutant emissions. In response to growing environmental concerns, the maritime sector has been subject to stringent regulations aimed at reducing emissions, achieved through the adoption of alternative fuels and emission control technologies. Accurate and diverse emission factors (EFs) are critical for quantifying shipping’s contribution to current emission inventories and projecting future trends under various policy scenarios. This study presents advancements in the development of emission factors for ships, incorporating alternative fuels, biofuels and emission control technologies. The methodology integrates statistical analysis of emission data from an extensive literature review with newly acquired on-board emission measurements. To ensure high resolution and applicability across diverse operational conditions, the emission factors are formulated as functions of engine load and categorized by engine type and fuel used. The results provide insights into the emission performance of ships and intend to support the development of robust, up-to-date emission models and inventories, contributing to the broader goal of sustainable maritime transport.
How to cite: Grigoriadis, A., Chountalas, T., Fragkou, E., Chountalas, D., and Ntziachristos, L.: Advancing load-dependent emission factors for ships: Integrating alternative fuels, biofuels, and control technologies, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15097, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15097, 2025.
