Particulate matter, gaseous and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in an urban traffic tunnel of China: Emission from on-road vehicles and gas-particle partitioning

Abstract

Traffic vehicles are a main source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission in urban area. It is vital to understand PAH gas-particle partitioning in real traffic environment and assess PAH vehicular emission factors in developing China. Concentrations of particulate matter, carbonaceous products, gaseous and particulate PAHs were measured during 2011–2012 in a road tunnel of Shanghai, China. Time variation of them reflected basic traffic operation of the tunnel. PAHs approached equilibrium between gas and particle phases and the partitioning was predicted better by a dual sorption model combining absorption into organic matter and adsorption onto black carbon. The influence of black carbon adsorption on the partitioning behavior of PAHs was important. The difference in isomer ratios of gaseous and particulate PAHs was attributed to PAH contributions from different traffic-related PAHs sources. Real-world vehicle emission factors of gaseous and particulate PAHs were quantified based on fuel burned model and vehicle kilometer traveled model.