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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 6(3)

Effects of vehicle type and fuel quality on the exposure risk of toxic emissions from diesel vehicles

Peter F. Nelson
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Graduate School of the Environment, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia. Email: pnelson@gse.mq.edu.au

Environmental Chemistry 6(3) 260-267 https://doi.org/10.1071/EN08074
Submitted: 10 October 2008  Accepted: 16 March 2009   Published: 18 June 2009

Environmental Context. Motor vehicle emissions of toxic chemicals are a major contributor to urban air pollution, and to potential human health problems. Diesel vehicles have historically been major sources of smoke and fine particles that contain a wide range of toxic species. In this study the effects of vehicle type and fuel quality on the cancer forming risk of toxic compounds in diesel exhaust are determined. It is found that the major risk is due to toxic compounds such as benzene formed during fuel combustion in the vehicle engine.

Abstract. Diesel vehicles are an important source of emission of air pollutants, particularly toxic compounds with potential health impacts. Current developments in engine design and fuel quality are expected to reduce these emissions, but many older vehicles will make a major contribution to urban pollutant concentrations and related health impacts for many years. In this study the relative inhalation risk of emissions of a range of toxic compounds are reported using data from a study of in-service vehicles driven through urban drive cycles using a range of diesel fuel formulations. The fuels ranged in sulfur content from 24 to 1700 ppm, and in total aromatics from 7.7 to 33 mass%. Effects of vehicle type and fuel composition on the risk of emissions of a range of toxic species are reported. The results show that the inhalation cancer risk is dominated for most of the vehicles and the testing modes by emissions of the combustion derived products, particularly benzene, naphthalene, and formaldehyde, and not by the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzo(a)pyrene. Based on the relative risk represented by these toxic species, improved fuel quality does not result in significant reductions in the relative inhalation cancer risk. However, this conclusion may be affected by additional toxic species and fine particles present in diesel exhaust, which were not included in this study.

Additional keywords: aldehydes, diesels, fuel quality, motor vehicle emissions, PAHs, toxic air pollutants.


Acknowledgements

The emissions testing on which this study of inhalation risk is based was funded by the Australian Department of Environment and Heritage. The author acknowledges the work of staff from Parsons Australia in performing the vehicle testing, and of colleagues Anne Tibbett, Stuart Day, Rob Heywood and Doug Roberts for their contribution to the sampling and analysis of diesel emissions in the original emission study.


References


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