Revising the machine smoking regime for cigarette emissions: implications for tobacco control policy

Background

The WHO Framework Convenion on Tobacco Control includes provisions for testing and regulating cigarette emissions. However, the current international standard for generating cigarette emissions—the ISO machine smoking regime—is widely acknowledged to be inappropriate for purposes of setting regulatory restrictions.

Objective

To review alternatives to the ISO machine smoking regime and the extent to which they: 1) Represent human smoking behaviour, 2) Reduce the potential for industry exploitation, particularly in the area of risk communication, and 3) Serve as suitable measures for product regulation.

Methods

Emissions data from 238 Canadian cigarette brands tested under the ISO and “Canadian Intense” machine smoking regimes.

Results

None of the alternative smoking regimes, including the Canadian Intense method, are more “representative” of human smoking behaviour and none provide better predictors of human exposure.

Conclusions

Given that alternatives such as the Canadian Intense regime are subject to the same fundamental limitations as the ISO regime, key questions need to be addressed before any smoking regime should be used to set regulatory limits on smoke emissions. In the meantime, regulators should remove quantitative emission values from cigarette packages and more work should be done on alternative machine smoking methods.The issue of how to test and regulate conventional cigarettes represents a critical challenge for tobacco control. To date, the primary means of testing cigarette toxicity has been to machine smoke the cigarettes according to a standard puffing regime and to measure the chemical emissions in the mainstream smoke. In many jurisdictions, these cigarette “yields” are printed on packages and represent the only source of information on constituents or toxicity available to consumers. Cigarette emissions also serve as a regulatory standard in several of jurisdictions, including the European Union, where brands that generate emissions >10 mg of tar, 1 mg of nicotine or 10 ppm of carbon monoxide are prohibited. The puffing regime used to machine smoke the cigarettes—the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) regime¹—is widely recognised to be inadequate for the purposes of product regulation or consumer information. The ISO regime constitutes a set of puffing parameters that systematically underestimate smoking behaviour in humans.^2,3,4 Tobacco manufacturers have also designed cigarette brands to perform one way under the machine smoking conditions, but to deliver much greater smoke constituents to humans.^5,6 As a result, the emissions generated under the ISO smoking regime have little relationship with actual measures of human exposure, and exaggerate the differences between brands in a manner that has proved deceptive to both consumers and regulators.^7,8,9 Overall, the emissions from the ISO regime have served as more of an industry marketing tool to falsely reassure health‐concerned smokers, rather than as a valid measure of cigarette toxicity.^2,10,11,12There is a growing movement to develop a more meaningful machine testing method. The World Health Organization''s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)—the world''s first international public health treaty—includes provisions for testing and regulating cigarette emissions under Article 9.¹³ These provisions will need to be specified now that the FCTC has come into force. After discussions with the WHO, the ISO convened a working group (ISO TC 126 WG9) to develop recommendations for “…a robust and practical smoking regime that as far as possible is representative of smokers'' behaviour”. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization''s Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulations (WHO TobReg) has developed its own set of recommendations, which were under consideration by the ISO Working Group.¹⁴ There are also concerns that the ISO committee structure responsible for setting tobacco standards is dominated by the tobacco industry.¹²Before any new testing regime is implemented, it is critical to ensure that the new standards will serve the interests of public health rather than the tobacco industry. The purpose of this paper is to review the smoking regimes that are under consideration by the ISO Working Group, and to examine the implications for tobacco control policy and product regulation. In particular, we examine the extent to which the proposed regimes will: (1) succeed in “representing” smoking behaviour in humans and generate better predictors of human exposure; (2) reduce the potential for industry exploitation, particularly in the field of risk communication; and (3) help to establish more effective regulatory limits on cigarette toxicity.     

Marlboro UltraSmooth: a potentially reduced exposure cigarette?

Aim

To compare relative toxic emissions scores (RTE) of the carbon filter cigarette Marlboro UltraSmooth (MUS), against regular Marlboro, Holiday, and British Columbian brands.

Method

MUS cigarettes were purchased in Tampa, Florida; Marlboro regular and Holiday were purchased in Auckland, New Zealand, and all emissions tested by Labstat International Inc, Kitchener, Ontario under Health Canada Intensive (HCI) machine‐smoking conditions (55 ml puff per 30 seconds, filter ventilation holes blocked) against: (1) previous same brand emissions tested under ISO (International Organization for Standardization) conditions; (2) ISO and HCI average emissions for 16 regular brands sold in British Columbia (BC), the reference standard. Toxicants, selected by toxicological risk assessment, enabled estimation of an RTE per brand, and RTE per mg of nicotine.

Results

The BC standard for RTE in both ISO and HCI test modes, including metals and nitrosamines, was set at 100. Hereafter excluding them, RTE in ISO mode for BC was 97, MUS 4, Marlboro 102, and Holiday regular 99; and in HCI test mode BC was 97, MUS 42, Marlboro regular 107, and Holiday 95. From ISO to HCI, MUS total puff volume increased 50%, from 252 ml to 380 ml; nicotine yield increased 2.6 fold. Normalising for nicotine (RTE per mg nicotine), in ISO test mode, the BC standard was 97, MUS 10, Marlboro regular 124, and Holiday regular 107. In HCI mode, however, MUS/nicotine at 104 exceeded the average BC standard of 97; Marlboro regular was 137, and Holiday regular 97; MUS ranked sixth highest among 18 regular brands. MUS contained 103 mg of carbon in its 304 mg filter, which was 55% ventilated.

Conclusion

The combined acetate‐carbon filter of MUS performed best at low smoke volumes on ISO testing. Under more smoker‐realistic intensive machine testing, and correcting for relative nicotine concentration and compensatory smoking, MUS increased the RTE, for all toxicants combined, for carcinogens, and for cardiovascular toxicants, compared with most regular brands. MUS was not a potentially reduced‐exposure product (PREP) under smoker‐realistic test conditions, and thus would not be expected to reduce overall harm. It is unrealistic to expect that even major design changes, as seen in MUS, or a regulatory framework to enforce such changes, could reduce cigarette smoking mortality risks to acceptable levels.     

Commercial aircraft engine emissions characterization of in-use aircraft at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

The emissions from in-use commercial aircraft engines have been analyzed for selected gas-phase species and particulate characteristics using continuous extractive sampling 1-2 min downwind from operational taxi- and runways at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Using the aircraft tail numbers, 376 plumes were associated with specific engine models. In general, for takeoff plumes, the measured NOx emission index is lower (approximately 18%) than that predicted by engine certification data corrected for ambient conditions. These results are an in-service observation of the practice of "reduced thrust takeoff". The CO emission index observed in ground idle plumes was greater (up to 100%) than predicted by engine certification data for the 7% thrust condition. Significant differences are observed in the emissions of black carbon and particle number among different engine models/technologies. The presence of a mode at approximately 65 nm (mobility diameter) associated with takeoff plumes and a smaller mode at approximately 25 nm associated with idle plumes has been observed. An anticorrelation between particle mass loading and particle number concentration is observed.     

On-road emission rates of PAH and n-alkane compounds from heavy-duty diesel vehicles

This paper presents the quantification of the emission rates of PAH and n-alkane compounds from on-road emissions testing of nine heavy-duty diesel (HDD) vehicles tested using CE-CERT's Mobile Emissions Laboratory (MEL) over the California Air Resources Board (ARB) Four Phase Cycle. Per mile and per CO2 emission rates of PAHs and n-alkanes were highest for operation simulating congested traffic (Creep) and lowest for cruising conditions (Cruise). Significant differences were seen in emission rates over the different phases of the cycle. Creep phase fleet average emission rates (mg mi(-1)) of PAHs and n-alkanes were approximately an order of magnitude higher than Cruise phase. This finding indicates that models must account for mode of operation when performing emissions inventory estimates. Failure to account for mode of operation can potentially lead to significant over- and underpredictions of emissions inventories (up to 20 times), especially in small geographic regions with significant amounts of HDD congestion. Howeverthe PAH and n-alkane source profiles remained relatively constant for the different modes of operation. Variability of source profiles within the vehicle fleet exceeded the variability due to different operating modes. Analysis of the relative risk associated with the compounds indicated the importance of naphthalene as a significant contributor to the risk associated with diesel exhaust. This high relative risk is driven by the magnitude of the emission rate of naphthalene in comparison to other compounds.     

Physical design analysis and mainstream smoke constituent yields of the new potential reduced exposure product, Marlboro UltraSmooth.

Potential reduced exposure products (PREPs) purport to lower toxicant emissions, but without clinical and long-term health outcome data, claims for reduced harm status of PREPs depend heavily on standard machine yield smoke constituent data. Two prototypes of the new carbon-filtered PREP Marlboro UltraSmooth (MUS) were investigated using both standard (FTC/ISO) and intensive (Health Canada) machine methods to measure gas/vapor- and particulate-phase smoke constituents. Basic physical design characteristics that may influence smoke constituent yields, such as ventilation, pressure drop (resistance to draw), quantity of tobacco, and quantity and type of carbon, were measured. The possible presence of added chemical flavorant compounds was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. MUS prototypes were found to have several key differences in physical design compared with a conventional cigarette, including higher ventilation, lower draw resistance, and in the case of the Salt Lake City prototype, the use of vitreous carbon beads and the presence of chemical flavorants on both the beads and an embedded filter fiber. When tested under the standard regimen, gas-phase constituents of MUS prototypes were reduced compared with a conventional low-yield cigarette. However, far smaller reductions in gas-phase constituents were observed under the intensive regimen, suggesting that the carbon technology used in MUS is less effective when smoked under more intensive conditions. Particulate-phase constituents were not reduced by the carbon filter under either machine-smoking regimen. The data suggest that MUS has been designed to reduce toxic yields while preserving consumer appeal. However, MUS is less effective in reducing toxic smoke constituents when smoked under intensive conditions.     

A systems evaluation on the effectiveness of a catalyst retrofit program in China

A low-cost, rare-earth oxide (REO) catalyst has been recommended as part of China's retrofit program for Chinese carbureted vehicles. This study evaluated: (1) the emission reduction efficiency of the REO catalyst during chassis dynamometer testing on the FTP cycle; (2) the effect that fuel properties had on tailpipe emissions and catalyst efficiency; (3) the importance of vehicle premaintenance as part of a retrofit protocol; and (4) the emission reductions obtained following implementation of the program. Results also show that current in-use Chinese noncatalyst, carbureted vehicles operate excessively rich, resulting in extremely high emissions of CO, gaseous toxic compounds, and other non-methane hydrocarbon species (NMHC). Preretrofit maintenance alone has the potential to reduce these emissions by approximately 50%. Dynamometer emission tests showed emissions reductions of >95% for hydrocarbons, CO, and gaseous toxics after retrofit of the REO catalyst. In particular, the relative unit health risk associated with the decrease in emissions of airborne toxic compounds using unleaded Chinese fuel was reduced from 6.33 to 0.30. (Use of low-sulfur California Phase II gasoline rather than current in-use Chinese fuel reduced emissions further.) Following implementation of the program, a follow-up study showed that in-use emissions benefits were considerably less than anticipated, primarily because of poor quality control at the retrofit service centers, a less aggressive preretrofit maintenance procedure, and unauthorized modification to the recommended retrofit control system. Overall results indicate that a carefully controlled retrofit program using REO catalyst technology can reduce emissions significantly. However, well-defined implementation guidelines, and strict adherence to these guidelines are needed to achieve maximum benefits.     

Evaluation of ultrafine particle emissions from laser printers using emission test chambers

It has now been recognized that some hardcopy devices emit ultrafine particles (d(p) < 100 nm) during their operation. As a consequence, the time-dependent characterization of particle release from laser printers is of high interest in order to evaluate the exposure of office workers to such emissions. The emission profiles of different printers can be compared in test chambers using a standardized test protocol and measuring devices with high time resolution. The extraction of meaningful and comparable data from the obtained data set is a complex procedure due to the different emission behavior patterns of the printers. The calculation of the unit specific emission rate (SERu) is of limited use because the emission profiles during the printing process ranged between short-term bursts and constant particle release. Therefore, other parameters such as the particle loss-rate coefficient, beta, which provides information about the testing conditions, and the area belowthe time vs concentration curve, F, which characterizes the particle release, allow for a comparison of the different printer tests. Variations in the emission behavior could not be associated with specific manufacturers or product lines. In addition, when performing several print jobs on the same device, with only short pauses between jobs, the emission rate was reduced in some cases. This further complicates the ability to determine the influence of printer construction and consumables, such as toner and paper, on the concentration of particles emitted.     

Modeling exposures to the oxidative potential of PM₁₀

Differences in the toxicity of ambient particulate matter (PM) due to varying particle composition across locations may contribute to variability in results from air pollution epidemiologic studies. Though most studies have used PM mass concentration as the exposure metric, an alternative which accounts for particle toxicity due to varying particle composition may better elucidate whether PM from specific sources is responsible for observed health effects. The oxidative potential (OP) of PM < 10 μm (PM(10)) was measured as the rate of depletion of the antioxidant reduced glutathione (GSH) in a model of human respiratory tract lining fluid. Using a database of GSH OP measures collected in greater London, U.K. from 2002 to 2006, we developed and validated a predictive spatiotemporal model of the weekly GSH OP of PM(10) that included geographic predictors. Predicted levels of OP were then used in combination with those of weekly PM(10) mass to estimate exposure to PM(10) weighted by its OP. Using cross-validation (CV), brake and tire wear emissions of PM(10) from traffic within 50 m and tailpipe emissions of nitrogen oxides from heavy-goods vehicles within 100 m were important predictors of GSH OP levels. Predictive accuracy of the models was high for PM(10) (CV R(2)=0.83) but only moderate for GSH OP (CV R(2) = 0.44) when comparing weekly levels; however, the GSH OP model predicted spatial trends well (spatial CV R(2) = 0.73). Results suggest that PM(10) emitted from traffic sources, specifically brake and tire wear, has a higher OP than that from other sources, and that this effect is very local, occurring within 50-100 m of roadways.     

Quantifying the emission benefits of opacity testing and repair of heavy-duty diesel vehicles

The objective of this study was to begin to quantify the benefits of a smoke opacity-based (SAE J1667 test) inspection and maintenance program. Twenty-six vehicles exhibiting visible smoke emissions were recruited: 14 pre-1991 vehicles and 12 1991 and later model year vehicles. Smoke opacity and regulated pollutant emissions via chassis dynamometer were measured, with testing conducted at 1609 m above sea level. Twenty of the vehicles were then repaired with the goal of lowering visible smoke emission, and the smoke opacity testing and pollutant emissions measurements were repeated. For the pre-1991 vehicles actually repaired, pre-repair smoke opacity averaged 39% and PM averaged 5.6 g/mi. NOx emissions averaged 22.1 g/mi. After repair, the average smoke opacity had declined to 26% and PM declined to 3.3 g/mi, while NOx emissions increased to 30.9 g/mi. For the 1991 and newer vehicles repaired, pre-repair smoke opacity averaged 59% and PM averaged 2.2 g/mi. NOx emissions averaged 12.1 g/mi. After repair, the average opacity had declined to 30% and PM declined to 1.3 g/mi, while NOx increased slightly to 14.4 g/mi. For vehicles failing the California opacity test at >55% for pre-1991 and >40% for 1991 and later model years, the changes in emissions exhibited a high degree of statistical significance. The average cost of repairs was 1088 dollars, and the average is very similar for both the pre-1991 and 1991+ model year groups. Smoke opacity was shown to be a relatively poor predictor of driving cycle PM emissions. Peak CO or peak CO and THC as measured during a snap-acceleration were much better predictors of driving cycle PM emissions.     

On the reversibility of environmental contamination with persistent organic pollutants

An understanding of the factors that control the time trends of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment is required to evaluate the effectiveness of emission reductions and to predict future exposure. Using a regional contaminant fate model, CoZMo-POP 2, and a generic bell-shaped emission profile, we simulated time trends of hypothetical chemicals with a range of POP-like partitioning and degradation properties in different compartments of a generic warm temperate environment, with the objective of identifying the processes that may prevent the reversibility of environmental contamination with POPs after the end of primary emissions. Evaporation from soil and water can prevent complete reversibility of POP contamination of the atmosphere after the end of emissions. However, under the selected conditions, only for organic chemicals within a narrow range of volatility, that is, a logarithm of the octanol air equilibrium partition coefficient between 7 and 8, and with atmospheric degradation half-lives in excess of a few month can evaporation from environmental reservoirs sustain atmospheric levels that are within an order of magnitude of those resulting from primary emissions. HCB and α-HCH fulfill these criteria, which may explain, why their atmospheric concentrations have remained relatively high decades after their main primary emissions have been largely eliminated. Soil-to-water transfer is found responsible for the lack of reversibility of POP contamination of the aqueous environment after the end of emissions, whereas reversal of water-sediment exchange, although possible, is unlikely to contribute significantly. Differences in the reversibility of contamination in air and water suggests the possibility of changes in the relative importance of various exposure pathways after the end of primary emissions, namely an increase in the importance of the aquatic food chain relative to the agricultural one, especially if the former has a benthic component. Since simulated time trends were strongly dependent on degradation half-lives, partitioning properties and selected environmental input parameters, it should not be surprising, that different field studies often generate highly divergent time trends.     

Measurements of in-use emissions from modern vehicles using an on-board measurement system

Emissions from "low emitting" modern vehicles were measured on-road using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) on-board emissions measurement system. Twenty vehicles were tested on road and on a chassis dynamometer. A subset of four vehicles was tested on a test track as well as on the dynamometer. Comparison of on-board measurements with laboratory measurements while operating on the dynamometer showed agreement within measurement and test to test variability. Comparison of dynamometer measurements with test track measurements showed some larger differences attributable to track test conditions. On-road and dynamometer tests were conducted on the remaining 16 vehicles, with the on-road testing including freeway, arterial, and residential streets. The on-road testing showed that most of the low emitting vehicles under most operating conditions are operating below certification levels. Most vehicles reached a hot stabilized condition within 60 to 100 s. Hot running emissions were on average very low once the catalyst lights off. For NMHC, the majority of the "certification" emissions occur during the start-up, especially for PZEVs. NOx and CO also showed a high fraction of "certification" emissions during start-up, but also showed emission spikes under hot running conditions, especially during transients.     

Symposium review: Defining a pathway to climate neutrality for US dairy cattle production

The US dairy industry has made substantial gains in reducing the greenhouse gas emission intensity of a gallon of milk. At the same time, consumer and investor interest for improved environmental benefits or reduced environmental impact of food production continues to grow. Following a trend of increasing greenhouse gas emission commitments for businesses across sectors of the economy, the US dairy industry has committed to a goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Paris Climate Accord's goal is to reduce warming of the atmosphere to less than 1.5 to 2°C based on preindustrial levels, which is different from emission goals of historic climate agreements that focus on emission reduction targets. Most of the emissions that account for the greenhouse gas footprint of a gallon of milk are from the short-lived climate pollutant CH₄, which has a half-life of approximately 10 yr. The relatively new accounting system Global Warming Potential Star and the unit CO₂ warming equivalents gives the industry the appropriate metrics to quantify their current and projected warming impact on future emissions. Incorporating this metric into potential future emissions pathways can allow the industry to understand the magnitude of emissions reductions needed to no longer contribute additional warming. Deterministic modeling was performed across the dairy industry's emission areas of enteric fermentation, manure management, feed production, and other upstream emissions necessary for dairy production. By reducing farm-level absolute emissions by 23% based on current levels, there is the opportunity for the US dairy industry to realize climate neutrality within the next few decades.     

Five-stage environmental exposure assessment strategy for mixtures: gasoline as a case study

A five-stage strategy is suggested for conducting an exposure assessment of mixtures that may contain numerous chemical components. The stages are: (1) determination of mixture composition and variability, (2) selection of component groups within the mixture and documentation of criteria used for this selection, (3) compilation of relevant property data for each group, (4) assessment of environmental fate of each group, and (5) assessment of environmental and human exposure to each group and to the mixture as a whole. A subsequent step is the assessment of environmental and/or human risk associated with the individual and aggregate exposure to each group. The approach is illustrated by application to gasoline, which is treated as 24 component groups or hydrocarbon blocks. Focusing on stages 2-4, the illustration shows that the groups display widely different environmental fates as a result of their different physicochemical properties, degradation half-lives, and mode-of-entry into the environment. As a result, the relative proportions of groups in each environmental medium (such as air and water) differ greatly from that of the original mixture. It is thus important to treat gasoline and similar mixtures as a number of component groups instead of as a single substance. A generic procedure is suggested in which the model is run for unit emissions of each component group to air, water, and soil. These results are compiled into matrices that can then be conveniently scaled to actual emission rates without rerunning the model. Methods for determining subsequent exposure and risk are also briefly outlined.     

湿式静电除尘技术引进糖厂蔗渣锅炉除尘系统效果显著

随着《锅炉大气污染物排放标准》(GB13271-2014)和《火电厂大气污染物排放标准》(GB13223-2011)的实施,大部分制糖企业须对蔗渣锅炉的除尘系统进行改造以使烟尘排放浓度达到新标准要求。本文结合蔗渣烟尘特点,引进具有相对投资成本少、劳动强度低、维护费用低、除尘效率高、无高温爆燃风险等优点的湿式静电除尘技术,介绍了其工作原理、结构及分类、关键技术及特点,并选用结构紧凑、安装体积小、耗水耗电少、占地面积少的立式蜂窝管湿式静电除尘器,安装于原有的水膜除尘器之后,用于蔗渣锅炉的二级精细高效除尘,结果显示:锅炉烟囱口(在线监测及取样分析)的烟尘平均排放浓度降至20 mg/m~3以下,符合新标准要求(烟尘浓度≤30 mg/m~3),榨季颗粒物排放削减率在60%以上,除尘效果显著。     

On-road emissions of light-duty vehicles in europe

For obtaining type approval in the European Union, light-duty vehicles have to comply with emission limits during standardized laboratory emissions testing. Although emission limits have become more stringent in past decades, light-duty vehicles remain an important source of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide emissions in Europe. Furthermore, persisting air quality problems in many urban areas suggest that laboratory emissions testing may not accurately capture the on-road emissions of light-duty vehicles. To address this issue, we conduct the first comprehensive on-road emissions test of light-duty vehicles with state-of-the-art Portable Emission Measurement Systems. We find that nitrogen oxides emissions of gasoline vehicles as well as carbon monoxide and total hydrocarbon emissions of both diesel and gasoline vehicles generally remain below the respective emission limits. By contrast, nitrogen oxides emissions of diesel vehicles (0.93 ± 0.39 grams per kilometer [g/km]), including modern Euro 5 diesel vehicles (0.62 ± 0.19 g/km), exceed emission limits by 320 ± 90%. On-road carbon dioxide emissions surpass laboratory emission levels by 21 ± 9%, suggesting that the current laboratory emissions testing fails to accurately capture the on-road emissions of light-duty vehicles. Our findings provide the empirical foundation for the European Commission to establish a complementary emissions test procedure for light-duty vehicles. This procedure could be implemented together with more stringent Euro 6 emission limits in 2014. The envisaged measures should improve urban air quality and provide incentive for innovation in the automotive industry.     

Evaluation and comparison of portable emissions measurement systems and federal reference methods for emissions from a back-up generator and a diesel truck operated on a chassis dynamometer

There is considerable interest in portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS) for emission inventory and regulatory applications. For this study, four commercial PEMS were compared with a Federal Reference Method (FRM) for measuring emissions from a back-up generator (BUG) over steady-state loads and a diesel truck on transient and steady-state chassis dynamometer tests. The agreement between the PEMS and the FRM varied depending on the pollutant and the particular PEMS tested for both the BUG and chassis dynamometer testing. The best performing PEMS for both the BUG and chassis testing was within approximately 12% for NOx of the FRM. For the BUG testing, several PEMS showed agreement with the FRM within approximately 5% for CO2. For the chassis dynamometer testing, the best PEMS showed agreement typically within approximately 5% for CO2. PM measurements for the BUG testing were low compared to the FRM, with the best measurements approximately 20% lower. For the chassis testing, two PM PEMS showed a good correlation but a high bias, while the correlation was worse for the other two PEMS. For each emissions component, some PEMS under different test conditions showed considerably larger deviations than those for the best performing PEMS.     

Real-time gaseous, PM and ultrafine particle emissions from a modern marine engine operating on biodiesel

Emissions from harbor-craft significantly affect air quality in populated regions near ports and inland waterways. This research measured regulated and unregulated emissions from an in-use EPA Tier 2 marine propulsion engine on a ferry operating in a bay following standard methods. A special effort was made to monitor continuously both the total Particulate Mass (PM) mass emissions and the real-time Particle Size Distribution (PSD). The engine was operated following the loads in ISO 8178-4 E3 cycle for comparison with the certification standards and across biodiesel blends. Real-time measurements were also made during a typical cruise in the bay. Results showed the in-use nitrogen oxide (NOx) and PM(2.5) emission factors were within the not to exceed standard for Tier 2 marine engines. Comparing across fuels we observed the following: a) no statistically significant change in NO(x) emissions with biodiesel blends (B20, B50); b) ～ 16% and ～ 25% reduction of PM(2.5) mass emissions with B20 and B50 respectively; c) a larger organic carbon (OC) to elemental carbon (EC) ratio and organic mass (OM) to OC ratio with B50 compared to B20 and B0; d) a significant number of ultrafine nuclei and a smaller mass mean diameter with increasing blend-levels of biodiesel. The real-time monitoring of gaseous and particulate emissions during a typical cruise in the San Francisco Bay (in-use cycle) revealed important effects of ocean/bay currents on emissions: NO(x) and CO(2) increased 3-fold; PM(2.5) mass increased 6-fold; and ultrafine particles disappeared due to the effect of bay currents. This finding has implications on the use of certification values instead of actual in-use emission values when developing inventories. Emission factors for some volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbonyls, and poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are reported as supplemental data.     

Emission measurements from a crude oil tanker at sea

This work presents an all-inclusive set of regulated and nonregulated emission factors for the main propulsion engine (ME), auxiliary engine (AE) and an auxiliary boiler on a Suezmax class tanker while operating at sea. The data include criteria pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and particulate matter), a greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide), the principal speciated hydrocarbons needed for human health risk assessments, and a detailed analysis of the PM into its primary constituents (ions, elements, organic, and elemental carbon). Measurements followed ISO 8178-1 methods with modifications described in the paper. The vessel burned two fuels: a heavy fuel oil in the ME and boiler and a distillate fuel in the AE. The weighted NO(x) emissions for the ME and AE are 19.87 +/- 0.95 and 13.57 +/- 0.31 g/kWh, respectively. The weighted PM mass emissions factor is 1.60 +/- 0.08 g/kWh for the ME and 0.141 +/- 0.005 g/kWh for the AE, with the sulfate content of the PM being the root cause for the difference. For the ME, sulfate with associated water is about 75% of total PM mass, and the organic carbon ranges from 15 to 25% of the PM mass. A deeper analysis showed that the conversion of fuel sulfur to sulfate in the ME ranged from 1.4to 5%. This article also provides emission factors for selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy alkanes, carbonyls, light hydrocarbon species, metals, and ions for the ME, AE, and the boiler.     

Unregulated emissions from compressed natural gas (CNG) transit buses configured with and without oxidation catalyst

The unregulated emissions from two in-use heavy-duty transit buses fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) and equipped with oxidation catalyst (OxiCat) control were evaluated. We tested emissions from a transit bus powered by a 2001 Cummins Westport C Gas Plus 8.3-L engine (CWest), which meets the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) 2002 optional NOx standard (2.0 g/bhp-hr). In California, this engine is certified only with an OxiCat, so our study did not include emissions testing without it. We also tested a 2000 New Flyer 40-passenger low-floor bus powered by a Detroit Diesel series 50G engine (DDCs50G) that is currently certified in California without an OxiCat. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) offers a "low-emission" package for this bus that includes an OxiCat for transit bus applications, thus, this configuration was also tested in this study. Previously, we reported that formaldehyde and other volatile organic emissions detected in the exhaust of the DDCs50G bus equipped with an OxiCat were significantly reduced relative to the same DDCs50G bus without OxiCat. In this paper, we examine othertoxic unregulated emissions of significance. The specific mutagenic activity of emission sample extracts was examined using the microsuspension assay. The total mutagenic activity of emissions (activity per mile) from the OxiCat-equipped DDC bus was generally lower than that from the DDC bus without the OxiCat. The CWest bus emission samples had mutagenic activity that was comparable to that of the OxiCat-equipped DDC bus. In general, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions were lower forthe OxiCat-equipped buses, with greater reductions observed for the volatile and semivolatile PAH emissions. Elemental carbon (EC) was detected in the exhaust from the all three bus configurations, and we found that the total carbon (TC) composition of particulate matter (PM) emissions was primarily organic carbon (OC). The amount of carbon emissions far exceeded the PM-associated inorganic element emissions, which were detected in all exhaust samples, at comparatively small emission rates. In summary, based on these results and those referenced from our group, the use of OxiCat for the new CWest engine and as a retrofit option for the DDCs50G engine generally results in the reduction of tailpipe toxic emissions. However, the conclusions of this study do not take into account OxiCat durability, deterioration, lubricant consumption, or vehicle maintenance, and these parameters merit further study.     

Hydrocarbon emissions from in-use commercial aircraft during airport operations

The emissions of selected hydrocarbons from in-use commercial aircraft at a major airport in the United States were characterized using proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and tunable infrared differential absorption spectroscopy (TILDAS) to probe the composition of diluted exhaust plumes downwind. The emission indices for formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, and toluene, as well as other hydrocarbon species, were determined through analysis of 45 intercepted plumes identified as being associated with specific aircraft. As would have been predicted for high bypass turbine engines, the hydrocarbon emission index was greater in idle and taxiway acceleration plumes relative to approach and takeoff plumes. The opposite was seen in total NOy emission index, which increased from idle to takeoff. Within the idle plumes sampled in this study, the median emission index for formaldehyde was 1.1 g of HCHO per kg of fuel. For the subset of hydrocarbons measured in this work, the idle emissions levels relative to formaldehyde agree well with those of previous studies. The projected total unburned hydrocarbons (UHC) deduced from the range of in-use idle plumes analyzed in this work is greater than a plausible range of engine types using the defined idle condition (7% of rated engine thrust) in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) databank reference.