Chemical characteristics and oxidative potential of particulate matter emissions from gasoline, diesel, and biodiesel cars.

Three light-duty vehicles in five different configurations [a Honda Accord operating with diesel with a closed-coupled oxidation catalyst and an underfloor catalyst replaced in some tests with a diesel particle filter (DPF), a Toyota Corolla operating with gasoline, and a VW Golf alternatively operating with petrodiesel or biodiesel] were tested in a dynamometer facility to develop an improved understanding of the factors affecting the toxicity of particulate exhaust emissions. The vehicles were tested using a variety of real-world driving cycles, more than the certification test (New European Driving Cycle). Particle samples were collected and analyzed for elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC, respectively), water soluble and water insoluble organic carbon (WSOC and WISOC, respectively), and inorganic ions, and the emission rates (mg/km) for each vehicle/configuration were determined. A dithiothreitol (DTT) assay was used to assess the oxidative potential of the particulate matter (PM) samples. The DPF-equipped diesel and gasoline vehicles were characterized by the lowest overall PM mass emissions, while the diesel and biodiesel cars produced the most potent exhaust in terms of oxidative activity. When the DPF was fitted on the Honda Accord diesel vehicle, the mass emission rates and distance-based oxidative potential were both decreased by 98%, compared to the original configuration. Correlation analysis showed that the DTT consumption rate was highly associated with WSOC, WISOC, and OC (R = 0.98, 0.93, and 0.94, respectively), consistent with previous findings.