Secondary Aerosol Formation (S-Feinstaub)

Duration: 2011-2013

Contact: André Prévôt, andre.prevot@psi.ch
Filling of the mobile chamber with scooter exhaust
Filling of the mobile chamber with scooter exhaust
Vehicle exhausts do not only contribute to carbonaceous particulate matter through black carbon and organic aerosol emissions but also through emissions of volatile organic compounds that are transformed in the atmosphere to low volatile organics forming secondary organic aerosol. In this project, we use the mobile smogchamber to assess the emissions and secondary aerosol production potential (SAPP) of the following emission sources :
  • Trucks with different exhaust after-treatment (100% diesel versus 50%diesel/50% liquid gas)
  • Diesel light duty vehicles (focus on high speeds)
  • Gasoline light duty vehicles (focus on cold start at different temperatures)
  • Scooters (2-stroke versus 4-stroke and the first trial of new aromatic free fuels and oils)
  • Non-road Diesel-engines (focus on construction machinery with particle filters)
  • Influence of biofuels (bio-ethanol cars at different temperatures)
The project is based on previous studies on the contribution of wood stoves and diesel light duty vehicles on primary aerosol and secondary organic aerosol formation (Chirico et al., 2010; Heringa et al., 2011).
Lights on the mobile chamber filled with scooter exhaust
Lights on the mobile chamber filled with scooter exhaust
  • Ispra, Italy, September 15 - October 28 2011
  • Biel, Switzerland, Bern University of Applied Sciences, 2012
  • Ispra, Italy, 2012
  • Results so far indicate that 2-stroke scooters are an important source of both primary and secondary carbonaceous particulate matter

Journal Articles

Impact of aftertreatment devices on primary emissions and secondary organic aerosol formation potential from in-use diesel vehicles: results from smog chamber experiments.
Chirico, R., P. F. DeCarlo, M. F. Heringa, T. Tritscher, R. Richter, A. S. H. Prevot, J. Dommen, E. Weingartner, G. Wehrle, M. Gysel, M. Laborde, and U. Baltensperger, 2010
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10, 11545-11563.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-10-11545-2010

Investigations of primary and secondary particulate matter of different wood combustion appliances with a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer.
Heringa, M. F., P. F. DeCarlo, R. Chirico, T. Tritscher, J. Dommen, E. Weingartner, R. Richter, G. Wehrle, A. S. H. Prevot, and U. Baltensperger, 2011
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 11, 5945-5957.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-11-5945-2011
This project is funded by Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO)