Well-to-Wheels emission inventory for the passenger vehicles of Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

Emission inventories are essential in air quality management; they identify the main sources of atmospheric pollution and define mitigation strategies. Most vehicle emission inventories estimate direct emissions, including combustion and, in some cases, wear and dust resuspension emissions. However, emission inventories typically do not account for indirect fuel production, storage, and transportation emissions. This study quantifies the Well-to-Wheels emissions from all passenger transport vehicles in Bogotá, Colombia. This inventory estimates direct emissions from fuel combustion, wear and dust resuspension, and indirect emissions. This study analyzes all vehicle technologies and fuels used to transport passengers in the city and estimates PM2.5, SO2, CO, NOx, Volatile Organic Compounds, and greenhouse gas (CO2-Eq) emissions. COPERT model was adapted to local conditions to estimate direct combustion emissions and European Monitoring and Evaluation Program and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methodologies to estimate wear and dust resuspension emissions. We used the OpenLCA® Software, the ecoinvent 3.4 database, and all locally available information to calculate indirect emissions. As far as is known, this is the first Well-to-Wheels emissions inventory considering all passenger vehicles in Bogotá. To evaluate the consistency of this study, we compared results from this inventory with those published in Bogotá and other cities worldwide. This study highlights the importance of including other emission sources than vehicle fuel combustion in emission inventories.