Effects of Diesel Emissions on Black Carbon and Particle Number Concentrations in the Eastern U.S.

Abstract

The effects of emissions of diesel engines on black carbon and particle number concentrations, as well as climate-relevant aerosol properties, are explored for a summertime period in the Eastern U.S. using the chemical transport model PMCAMx-UF. A 50% reduction in diesel particulate emissions results in lower (23%) black carbon mass concentrations, as expected, and similar changes both in magnitude (27–30%) and spatial pattern for the absorption coefficient. However, an average 2% increase in the total particle number concentrations is predicted due to a decrease in the coagulation and condensation sinks and, at the same time, a 2% decrease in N100 (particles larger than 100 nm) concentrations. The diesel reduction results suggest that mitigation of large diesel particles and/or particle mass emissions can reduce climate-relevant properties related to the absorption of black carbon and provide health benefits; however, the changes could also have the unintended effect of increased ultrafine particle number concentrations. Changes in cloud condensation nuclei are predicted to be significantly less than expected, assuming a proportional reduction during this photochemically active period. Doubling the diesel emissions results in a domain-averaged 3% decrease in total particle number concentrations and a 3% increase in N100 concentrations. PM2.5 BC concentrations increase on average by 46%, and similar changes (52–60%) are predicted for the absorption coefficient. Extinction coefficients for both perturbation simulations changed by only a few percent due to the dominance of scattering aerosols in the Eastern U.S. during this period characterized by high photochemical activity.