Temperature dependence of volatile organic compound evaporative emissions from motor vehicle

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Abstract

A chemical mass balance approach is used to determine the relative contributions of evaporative versus tailpipe sources to motor vehicle volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Contributions were determined by reconciling time-resolved ambient VOC concentrations measured downwind of Sacramento, California, in summer 2001 with source speciation profiles. A composite liquid fuel speciation profile was determined from gasoline samples collected at Sacramento area service stations. Vapor-liquid equilibrium relationships were used to determine the corresponding headspace vapor composition. VOC concentrations measured in a highway tunnel were used to define the composition of running vehicle emissions. The chemical mass balance analysis indicated that headspace vapor contributions ranged from 7 to 29% of total vehicle-related VOC depending on time of day and day of week, with a mean daytime contribution of 17.0 ± 0.9% (mean ± 95% CI). A positive association between the headspace vapor contribution and ambient air temperature was found for afternoon hours. We estimate a 6.5 ± 2.5% increase in vapor pressure-driven evaporative emissions and at least a 1.3 ± 0.4% increase in daily total (exhaust plus evaporative) VOC emissions from motor vehicles per degree Celsius increase in maximum temperature. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

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Rubin, J. I., Kean, A. J., Harley, R. A., Millet, D. B., & Goldstein, A. H. (2006). Temperature dependence of volatile organic compound evaporative emissions from motor vehicle. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, 111(3). https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JD006458

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