Climate-relevant properties of diesel particulate emissions: Results from a piggyback study in Bangkok, Thailand

R. Subramanian, Ekbordin Winijkul, Tami C. Bond, Worrarat Thiansathit, Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, Ittipol Paw-Armart, K. G. Duleep

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A "piggyback" approach is used to characterize aerosol emissions to obtain input for large-scale models of atmospheric transport. Particulate and gaseous emissions from diesel trucks, light-duty vehicles, and buses were measured by the Bangkok Pollution Control Department as part of the Developing Integrated Emissions Strategies for Existing Land Transport (DIESEL) project. We added filter-based measurements of carbonaceous composition, particulate light absorption, and water uptake. For 88 "normal" diesel vehicles (PM emission rate <4.7 g/kg), our best estimate of the average PM2.5 emission rate is 2.2 ± 0.5 g/kg, whereas for 15 high emitters, it is 8.4 ± 1.9 g/kg. The effect of Euro standards on PM emission rates was apparent for heavy-duty vehicles, but not for light-duty vehicles. Carbonaceous composition appears relatively consistent, with particulate (artifact-corrected) OC at 17 ( 1% and EC at 40 ( 8% of PM for 103 pickups, vans, heavy-duty trucks and buses. The median absorption cross-section for EC is 10.5 m2/g at 532 nm. The history of average emission rate and chemical composition during the project suggests that about 25 vehicles can provide a regional PM emission rate for normal vehicles. Other studies such as remote sensing measurements will be required to estimate the important contribution of high-emitting vehicles.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)4213-4218
Number of pages6
JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
Volume43
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2009
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • Environmental Chemistry

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