Weingartner, Ernest
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Iron, manganese and copper emitted by cargo and passenger trains in Zürich (Switzerland). Size-segregated mass concentrations in ambient air
Particle emissions caused by railway traffic have hardly been investigated in the past, due to their obviously minor influence on air quality compared to automotive traffic. In this study, emissions related to particle abrasion from wheels and tracks were investigated next to a busy railway line in Zürich (Switzerland), where trains run nearly exclusively with electrical locomotives. Hourly size-segregated aerosol samples (0.1–1, 1–2.5 and 2.5–10 μm) were collected with a rotating drum impactor (RDI) and subsequently analyzed by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (SR-XRF). In this way, hourly elemental mass concentrations were obtained for chromium, manganese, iron and copper, which are the elements most relevant for railway abrasion. Additionally, daily aerosol filters were collected at the same site as well as at a background site for subsequent analysis by gravimetry and wavelength dispersive XRF (WD-XRF). Railway related ambient air concentrations of iron and manganese were calculated for the coarse (2.5–10 μm) and fine (<2.5 μm) particle fraction by means of a Mn/Fe ratio investigation. The comparison to train type and frequency data showed that 75% and 60% of the iron and manganese mass concentrations related to cargo and passenger trains, respectively, were found in the coarse mode. The railway related iron mass concentration normalized by the train frequency ranges between 10 and 100 ng mˉ³ h iron in 10 m distance to the tracks, depending on train type. It is estimated that the personal exposure next to a busy railway line above ground is more than a magnitude lower than inside a subway station.
Vertical distribution of aerosol particles and NOx close to a motorway
In May 2001, the large-scale field project BAB II was performed at the highly frequented motorway BAB (Bundesautobahn) A656 with two traffic lanes in each direction between the German cities Heidelberg and Mannheim. Extensive measurements of air pollutants were carried out on both sides of the motorway. In a distance of 60 m (north side) and 84 m (south side) to the traffic lanes, two 52-m-high towers were installed, at which electrically powered elevators were fixed. In these elevators, two NOx analysers, an Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI; measurement of the particle number size distribution in the diameter range 𝐷 between 30 nm and 10 μm) and a Diffusion Charger (DC; measuring the particle surface area concentration), were operated to record continuous vertical profiles from 5 to 50 m above the earth's surface. On the upwind side, particle number and surface area concentration as well as NOx values were constant over the entire height profile. On the downwind side, increased concentrations appeared in the near-ground range: in the forenoon, a monotonous decrease in pollutant concentrations with increasing height was found, while around noon the concentration maximum of the particles was slightly shifted to 10 m above ground. This height dependence was found for two different size ranges, i.e., for particles with 𝐷<300nm (consisting of soot particles and nucleation mode particles formed by condensation as a result of cooling of the exhaust gas after emission), and for coarse particles (𝐷>1μm, abrasion and resuspension products). In the size range between 300 and 700 nm, no height dependence was found, corroborating the fact that motor traffic emits only few particles in this size range. On the downwind side of the motorway, only background concentrations were measured above 25 m. The results of the profile measurements were confirmed by stationary measurements of particle size distributions with Scanning Mobility Particle Sizers (SMPS) at various heights. A good correlation between particle surface area and NOx concentration was observed. Vehicle emission factors were determined for the particle surface area, number and volume of several size ranges.
Separate determination of PM10 emission factors of road traffic for tailpipe emissions and emissions from abrasion and resuspension processes
Little is known about the relevance of mechanically produced particles of road traffic from abra-sion and resuspension processes in relation to the exhaust pipe particles. In this paper, emis-sion factors of PM10 and PM1 for light and heavy-duty vehicles were derived for different repre-sentative traffic regimes from concentration differences of particles and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) in ambient air upwind and downwind of busy roads, or alternatively of kerbsides and nearby back-ground sites. Hereby, PM1 was interpreted as direct exhaust emissions and PM10-PM1 as me-chanically produced emissions from abrasion and resuspension processes. The results show that abrasion and resuspension processes represent a significant part of the total primary PM10 emissions of road traffic. At sites with relatively undisturbed traffic flow they are in the same range as the exhaust pipe emissions. At sites with disturbed traffic flow due to traffic lights, emissions from abrasion/resuspension are even higher than those from the exhaust pipes.
Properties of jet engine combustion particles during the PartEmis experiment. Microphysics and Chemistry
The particles emitted from an aircraft engine combustor were investigated in the European project PartEmis. Measured aerosol properties were mass and number concentration, size distribution, mixing state, thermal stability of internally mixed particles, hygroscopicity, and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation potential. The combustor operation conditions corresponded to modern and older engine gas path temperatures at cruise altitude, with fuel sulphur contents (FSC) of 50, 410, and 1270 μg/g. Operation conditions and FSC showed only a weak influence on the microphysical aerosol properties, except for hygroscopic and CCN properties. Particles of size D ≥ 30 nm were almost entirely internally mixed. Particles of sizes D < 20 nm showed a considerable volume fraction of compounds that volatilise at 390 K (10–15%) and 573 K (4–10%), while respective fractions decreased to <5% for particles of size D ≥ 50 nm.
Contribution of railway traffic to local PM10 concentrations in Switzerland
Field measurement campaigns of PM10 and its elemental composition (daily sampling on filters) covering different seasons were performed at two sites near the busiest railway station of Switzerland in Zurich (at a distance of 10 m from the tracks) and at a site near a very busy railway line with more than 700 trains per day. At this latter site parallel samples were taken at 10, 36 and 120 m distances from the tracks with the aim to study the distance dependence of the railway induced PM10 concentrations. To distinguish the relatively small railway emissions from the regional background (typically 20–25 μg m−3), simultaneous samples were also taken at an urban background site in Zurich. The differences in PM10 and elemental concentrations between the railway exposed sites and the background site were allocated to the railway contribution. Small, however, measurable PM10 concentration differences were found at all sites. The elemental composition of these differences revealed iron as the only quantitatively important constituent. As a long-term average it amounted to approximately 1 μg m−3 Fe at a distance of 10 m from the tracks at all three sites. Assuming that iron was at least partly oxidised (e.g. in the form of Fe2O3) the contribution can amount up to 1.5 μg m−3. Emissions of copper, manganese and chromium from trains were also clearly identified. However, compared to iron these, elements were emitted in very low quantities. No significant contribution from rock material (calcium, aluminium, magnesium, sodium) was observed as might have been expected from erosion, abrasion and resuspension from the gravel below the tracks. Particle emissions from diesel exhaust were not considered as trains in Switzerland are operated nearly exclusively by electric locomotives. The railway, induced contribution to ambient PM10 decreased rapidly with increasing distance from the tracks. At a distance of 120 m this contribution dropped to only 25% of the contribution observed at 10 m distance.
Real-world emission factors of fine and ultrafine aerosol particles for different traffic situations in Switzerland
A European aerosol phenomenology - 1. physical characteristics of particulate matter at kerbside, urban, rural and background sites in Europe
This paper synthesizes data on aerosol (particulate matter, PM) physical characteristics, which were obtained in European aerosol research activities at free-troposphere, natural, rural, near-city, urban, and kerbside sites over the past decade. It covers only two sites in the semi-arid Mediterranean area, and lacks data from Eastern Europe. The data include PM10 and/or PM2.5 mass concentrations, and aerosol particle size distributions. Such data sets are more comprehensive than those currently provided by air quality monitoring networks (e.g. EMEP, EUROAIRNET). Data available from 31 sites in Europe (called “The Network”) were reviewed. They were processed and plotted to allow comparisons in spite of differences in the sampling and analytical techniques used in various studies. A number of conclusions are drawn as follows: Background annual average PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentrations for continental Europe are 7.0±4.1 and 4.8±2.4 μg mˉ³, respectively. The EU 2005 annual average PM10 standard of 40 μg mˉ³ is exceeded at a few sites in The Network. At all near city, urban and kerbside sites, the EU 2010 annual average PM10 standard of 20 μg mˉ³, as well as the US-EPA annual average PM2.5 standard of 15 μg mˉ³ are exceeded. In certain regions, PM10 and PM2.5 in cities are strongly affected by the regional aerosol background. There is no “universal” (i.e. valid for all sites) ratio between PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations, although fairly constant ratios do exist at individual sites. There is no universal correlation between PM mass concentration on the one hand, and total particle number concentration on the other hand, although a ‘baseline’ ratio between number and mass is found for sites not affected by local emissions. This paper is the first part of two companion papers of which the second part describes chemical characteristics.
Aerosol and NOx emission factors and submicron particle number size distributions in two road tunnels with different traffic regimes
Measurements of aerosol particle number size distributions (18–700 nm), mass concentrations (PM2.5 and PM10) and NOx were performed in the Plabutsch tunnel, Austria, and in the Kingsway tunnel, United Kingdom. These two tunnels show different characteristics regarding the roadway gradient, the composition of the vehicle fleet and the traffic frequency. The submicron particle size distributions contained a soot mode in the diameter range D=80–100 nm and a nucleation mode in the range of D=20–40 nm. In the Kingsway tunnel with a significantly lower particle number and volume concentration level than in the Plabutsch tunnel, a clear diurnal variation of nucleation and soot mode particles correlated to the traffic density was observed. In the Plabutsch tunnel, soot mode particles also revealed a diurnal variation, whereas no substantial variation was found for the nucleation mode particles. During the night a higher number concentration of nucleation mode particles were measured than soot mode particles and vice versa during the day. In this tunnel with very high soot emissions during daytime due to the heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) share of 18% and another 40% of diesel driven light-duty vehicles (LDV) semivolatile species condense on the pre-existing soot surface area rather than forming new particles by homogeneous nucleation. With the low concentration of soot mode particles in the Kingsway tunnel, also the nucleation mode particles exhibit a diurnal variation. From the measured parameters real-world traffic emission factors were estimated for the whole vehicle fleet as well as differentiated into the two categories LDV and HDV. In the particle size range D=18–700 nm, each vehicle of the mixed fleet emits (1.50±0.08)×10^14 particles km-1 (Plabutsch) and (1.26±0.10)×10^14 particles km-1 (Kingsway), while particle volume emission factors of 0.209±0.008 cm³ km-1 and 0.036±0.004 cm³ km-1, respectively, were obtained. PM1 emission factors of 104±4 mg km-1 (Plabutsch) and 41±4 mg km-1 (Kingsway) were calculated. Emission factors determined in this work were in good agreement with results from other studies.
Secondary organic aerosol formation by irradiation of 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene−NOₓ-H2O in a new reaction chamber for atmospheric chemistry and physics
A new environmental reaction smog chamber was built to simulate particle formation and growth similar to that expected in the atmosphere. The organic material is formed from nucleation of photooxidized organic compounds. The chamber is a 27 m³ fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) bag suspended in a temperature-controlled enclosure. Four xenon arc lamps (16 kW total) are used to irradiate primary gas components for experiments lasting up to 24 h. Experiments using irradiations of 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene−NOₓ−H2O at similar input concentrations without seed particles were used to determine particle number and volume concentration wall loss rates of 0.209 ± 0.018 and 0.139 ± 0.070 1/h, respectively. The particle formation was compared with and without propene.
Roadside measurements of particulate matter size distribution
Roadside measurements were performed in order to document the size distribution of particulate matter (PM) under dilution conditions similar to those found in real world. These activities covered measurements at engine test beds, at different locations in a road tunnel as well as in an urban environment. In order to get a clear picture of the evolution of the PM in different size classes, the in-tunnel locations ranged from curb-side to different locations inside the exhaust air system. Additional measurements were performed in the ambient air at curb-side at a street crossing as well as in urban background. At those times when heavy traffic occurs, tunnel measurements show size distributions similar to those derived from engine/vehicle measurements. During times with little traffic the size distributions are closer to those recorded in ambient air. As soon as the traffic load increases the size distribution changes, due to rapid coagulation of the smallest particles with the accumulation mode. As the travel time of the particles through the tunnel and up the stacks is very long “aging” effects could be observed. Thus, these spectra are quite different from ambient measurements in urban air, especially in the region above 30–40 nm.