High-end exposure relationships of volatile air toxics and carbon monoxide to community-scale air monitoring stations in Atlanta, Chicago, and Houston

Abstract

Evaporative and exhaust mobile source air toxic (MSAT) emissions of total volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes), formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, butadiene, methyl tertiary butyl ether, and ethanol were measured in vehicle-related high-end microenvironments (ME) under worst-case conditions plausibly simulating the >99th percentile of inhalation exposure concentrations in Atlanta (baseline gasoline), Chicago (ethanol-oxygenated gasoline), and Houston (methyl tertiary butyl either-oxygenated gasoline) during winter and summer seasons. High-end MSAT values as ratios of the corresponding measurements at nearby air monitoring stations exceeded the microenvironmental proximity factors used in regulatory exposure models, especially for refueling operations and MEs under reduced ventilation. MSAT concentrations were apportioned between exhaust and evaporative vehicle emissions in Houston where methyl tertiary butyl ether could be used as a vehicle emission tracer. With the exception of vehicle refueling operations, the results indicate that evaporative emissions are a minor component of high-end MSAT exposure concentrations.