Characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and carbonyl compounds in diesel exhaust emissions
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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Measuring Sub-23 Nanometer Real Driving Particle Number Emissions Using the Portable DownToTen Sampling System
Published on: May 22, 2020
Rosanna Mabilia1, Angelo Cecinato, Maria Concetta Tomasi Scianò
1Istituto Inquinamento Atmosferico CNR, Via Salaria km 29 300, CP 10, 00016-Monterotondo Scalo (RM), Italy.
Abstract:
Exhaust emissions from a recent model heavy-duty diesel vehicle (city bus) in a chassis dynamometer were measured during a transient driving cycle. Particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and gaseous carbonyls, substances that create health hazards and are, as yet, unregulated were collected, the former on filters and the latter on dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)-coated silica cartridges and analysed by GC-MS and HPLC, respectively. PAH emission rates decreased with the number of benzene fused rings. They averaged 0.2 mg km(-1) for a total of 11 PAHs ranging from fluoranthene to benzo(ghi)perylene. Fluoranthene and pyrene accounted for 90% of total PAHs. The sum of emission rates of C1 approximately C6 carbonyls averaged 174 mg km(-1), even if formaldehyde alone represented approximately 70% of the total carbonyl mass, followed by acetaldehyde (13%). Results obtained were compared with emission data reported in previous studies.
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