Evaluation of driver exposure risk on toxins emitted from exhausts engine in traffic congestion simulated conditions

Maria Skrętowicz,Radosław Wróbel,Maciej Zawiślak,Anna Janicka,B Kaźmierczak,K Piekarska,M Kutyłowska,P Jadwiszczak

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/20184400163

Maria Skrętowicz, Radosław Wróbel + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20184400163

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Abstract

The increase in the number of vehicles and better availability of car purchase cause that nowadays people tend to spend more time inside cars. In urban traffic conditions, vehicles moves at low speeds. In addition, traffic lights and high traffic flows cause frequent stops of vehicles and often lead to congestions. The consequence is high amount of exhaust emission and high levels of the concentration of pollutants in the air. In such conditions, pollutants including hydrocarbons from the group of volatile organic compound enter the interior of vehicles with air passing into the cabin. It accumulates mainly in the area of the driver and the passengers heads. In this paper the results of the research of volatile organic compounds concentration inside two different passenger cars in simulated traffic congestion conditions are presented. The study involved vehicles of various ages: new (2011) and old (1999). On the basis of the study the driver exposure inside these vehicles to the impact of volatile organic compounds has been evaluated.

Highlights

The development of automotive industry is very dynamic and results in ever increasing number of cars on the roads
That Mazda has another source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), than exhaust gases contained in the air
Based on this research it has been found out that: 1) the values of measured VOCs concentrations inside the car cabin before and after 3-hours traffic congestion simulations do not exceed the limits, but it is important to note that, for example benzene is dangerous for human health even in low concentration in long exposure [10]. 2) beside n-pentane in Mazda in outside background sample (BO), in all of other cases VOCs concentration values outside are lower than inside the cabin

Summary

Introduction

The development of automotive industry is very dynamic and results in ever increasing number of cars on the roads. This carries a positive social effect, as it allows quick and comfortable movement from place to place. The direct result of fuel consumption in internal combustion engines is the emission of harmful fumes into the atmosphere. This is especially true for the cities, where traffic is very intensive and emission of exhaust gases is much higher. Exhaust gases introduced into the atmosphere can get into the car cabin via the car ventilation system and cause danger for travellers

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