HCHO Emission Research Articles

Characterizing formaldehyde emissions from forklifts in China based on real-world online measurements

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important precursor for secondary pollution in the atmosphere and is carcinogenic. Previous studies have underscored the substantial contribution of non-road construction equipment (NRCE) to HCHO emissions, yet the understanding of HCHO emissions from NRCE remains limited. In this study, we conducted real-world measurements on six China III forklifts, which are an important type of NRCE in China, to characterize their second-by-second HCHO emission patterns. We quantified the fuel-based emission factors (EFs) of HCHO under various conditions including operating conditions, engine power, and the presence of an after-treatment device. Results showed that the cumulative weighted HCHO EF for the low-power forklifts was 1.37 ± 0.74 g/kg fuel, which was 3 times greater than that for high-power forklifts. Higher HCHO EFs were found under idling conditions than under moving and working conditions. Notably, the installation of a diesel particulate filter (DPF) potentially resulted in an increase in HCHO emissions. Our research indicates that the HCHO emissions from forklifts were considerably high and may have been previously underestimated by offline measurements, which suggests the need for further investigation of HCHO emissions from forklifts utilizing advanced online techniques.

Investigating the causes and reduction approaches of nocturnal ozone increase events over Tai'an in the North China Plain

China's O3 pollution events continue to be frequent, and accurately understanding the sources and sinks of O3 pollution is crucial. Previous research predominantly focused on controlling O3 pollution through daytime photochemical production, overlooking the significant impact of nocturnal high O3 values on the subsequent days' O3 concentrations. Understanding the causes of nocturnal O3 pollution and implementing effective control measures are essential for O3 pollution alleviation. In light of this, we utilized clustering analysis, combined with meteorological and chemical factors to comprehend the nocturnal variation characteristics and mechanisms of nocturnal O3 increase (NOI) events in Tai'an from July 2021 to June 2022. The results qualitatively identified that three clusters have distinct influencing factors: horizontal transport predominantly drives NOIflucts, meanwhile, NOIdecline events, mainly occurring in summer, experienced more intense photochemical reactions. For NOIstable events, primarily observed in spring, there was greater downward transport of high-altitude O3 and more intense titration reactions. Further, using interpretable machine learning models, we quantitatively assessed the contributions of several factors to nocturnal O3. The results reveal that nocturnal titration is the predominant factor, followed by the accumulation of daytime photochemical generation. Additionally, we explored approaches for reducing daytime nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO), quantifying their impact on nocturnal O3 concentrations. The results indicate that reducing emissions of HCHO and NO2 can effectively lower O3 levels in NOIdecline and focusing on reducing HCHO emissions proves to be more beneficial in NOIstable events, with NOIflucts events falling in between these two clusters. Targeted implementation of diverse reduction approaches and proportions in different NOI clusters can more effectively mitigate the occurrence of nocturnal O3 pollution, thereby influencing the O3 levels of the following day.

Formaldehyde Exposure Racial Disparities in Southeast Texas.

Formaldehyde (HCHO) exposures during a full year were calculated for different race/ethnicity groups living in Southeast Texas using a chemical transport model tagged to track nine emission categories. Petroleum and industrial emissions were the largest anthropogenic sources of HCHO exposure in Southeast Texas, accounting for 44% of the total HCHO population exposure. Approximately 50% of the HCHO exposures associated with petroleum and industrial sources were directly emitted (primary), while the other 50% formed in the atmosphere (secondary) from precursor emissions of reactive compounds such as ethylene and propylene. Biogenic emissions also formed secondary HCHO that accounted for 11% of the total population-weighted exposure across the study domain. Off-road equipment contributed 3.7% to total population-weighted exposure in Houston, while natural gas combustion contributed 5% in Beaumont. Mobile sources accounted for 3.7% of the total HCHO population exposure, with less than 10% secondary contribution. Exposure disparity patterns changed with the location. Hispanic and Latino residents were exposed to HCHO concentrations +1.75% above average in Houston due to petroleum and industrial sources and natural gas sources. Black and African American residents in Beaumont were exposed to HCHO concentrations +7% above average due to petroleum and industrial sources, off-road equipment, and food cooking. Asian residents in Beaumont were exposed to HCHO concentrations that were +2.5% above average due to HCHO associated with petroleum and industrial sources, off-road vehicles, and food cooking. White residents were exposed to below average HCHO concentrations in all domains because their homes were located further from primary HCHO emission sources. Given the unique features of the exposure disparities in each region, tailored solutions should be developed by local stakeholders. Potential options to consider in the development of those solutions include modifying processes to reduce emissions, installing control equipment to capture emissions, or increasing the distance between industrial sources and residential neighborhoods.

Establishment and verification of anthropogenic speciated VOCs emission inventory of Central China

Improving the accuracy of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission inventory is crucial for reducing atmospheric pollution and formulating control policy of air pollution. In this study, an anthropogenic speciated VOCs emission inventory was established for Central China represented by Henan Province at a 3 km × 3 km spatial resolution based on the emission factor method. The 2019 VOCs emission in Henan Province was 1003.5 Gg, while industrial process source (33.7%) was the highest emission source, Zhengzhou (17.9%) was the city with highest emission and April and August were the months with the more emissions. High VOCs emission regions were concentrated in downtown areas and industrial parks. Alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons were the main VOCs contribution groups. The species composition, source contribution and spatial distribution were verified and evaluated through tracer ratio method (TR), Positive Matrix Factorization Model (PMF) and remote sensing inversion (RSI). Results show that both the emission results by emission inventory (EI) (15.7 Gg) and by TR method (13.6 Gg) and source contribution by EI and PMF are familiar. The spatial distribution of HCHO primary emission based on RSI is basically consistent with that of HCHO emission based on EI with a R-value of 0.73. The verification results show that the VOCs emission inventory and speciated emission inventory established in this study are relatively reliable.

Remote Sensing Measurements at a Rural Site in China: Implications for Satellite NO2 and HCHO Measurement Uncertainty and Emissions From Fires

AbstractNitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) play vital roles in atmospheric photochemical processes. Their tropospheric vertical column density (TVCD) distributions have been monitored by satellite instruments. Evaluation of these observations is essential for applying these observations to study photochemistry. Assessing satellite products using observations at rural sites, where local emissions are minimal, is particularly useful due in part to the spatial homogeneity of trace gases. In this study, we evaluate OMI and TROPOMI NO2 and HCHO TVCDs using multi‐axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX‐DOAS) measurements at a rural site in the east coast of the Shandong province, China in spring 2018 during the Ozone Photochemistry and Export from China Experiment (OPECE) measurement campaign. On days not affected by local burning, we found generally good agreement of NO2 data after using consistent a priori profiles in satellite and MAX‐DOAS retrievals and accounting for low biases in scattering weights in one of the OMI products. In comparison, satellite HCHO products exhibited weaker correlations with MAX‐DOAS data, in contrast to satellite NO2 products. However, TROPOMI HCHO products showed significantly better agreement with MAX‐DOAS measurements compared to OMI data. Furthermore, case studies of the vertical profiles measured by MAX‐DOAS on burning days revealed large enhancements of nitrous acid (HONO), NO2, and HCHO in the upper boundary layer, accompanied with considerable variability, particularly in HONO enhancements.

Numerical evaluation of ignition timing influences on performance of a stratified-charge H2/methanol dual-injection automobile engine under lean-burn condition

Influences of ignition timing (IT) on combustion, carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO) regulated emissions and formaldehyde (HCHO) and unburned methanol (CH3OH) unregulated emissions in a hydrogen (H2)/methanol dual-injection automobile engine under lean-burn condition were studied numerically. The results demonstrate that at lean-burn (excess air ratio = 2.0) condition, the peak cylinder pressure (PCP), peak heat release rate (PHRR) and peak cylinder temperature (PCT) all decrease with delayed IT, and their corresponding crank angles are also late; ignition delay (ID) and combustion duration (CD) decrease with delayed IT; CO, HCHO and CH3OH emissions increase with delayed IT, while NO emission decreases with delayed IT. At a fixed IT, PCP, PHRR and PCT for with adding 5 % H2 (RH2 = 5 %) are higher than those for without adding H2 (RH2 = 0 %), and their corresponding crank angles for RH2 = 5 % are earlier than those for RH2 = 0 %; ID and CD for RH2 = 5 % are lower than those for RH2 = 0 %. CO, HCHO and unburned CH3OH emissions for RH2 = 5 % are also much lower than those for RH2 = 0 %, while NO emission for RH2 = 5 % is also higher than that for RH2 = 0 %. The influence order of adding H2 to reduce emissions of engine is: CO > HCHO > unburned CH3OH.

Computational study of excess air ratio impacts on performances of a spark-ignition H2/methanol dual-injection engine

The impacts of excess air ratio (λ) on combustion, CO and NO regulated emissions, and formaldehyde (HCHO) and unburned methanol (CH3OH) unregulated emissions behaviors in a spark-ignition H2/methanol dual injection engine were studied numerically. The results show that the peak in-cylinder pressure (PIP), peak heat release rate (PHRR) and peak in-cylinder temperature (PIT) all decrease with the increase of λ, and their corresponding crank angles are also late; the ignition delay (ID) and combustion duration (CD) decrease with the increase of λ; the CO, HCHO and CH3OH emissions increase with the increase of λ, while the NO emission decreases with the increase of λ. At a constant λ, the PIP, PHRR and PIT for with 5 % H2 (RH2 = 5 %) are higher than those for without H2 (RH2 = 0 %), and their corresponding crank angles for RH2 = 5 % are earlier than those for RH2 = 0 %; the ID and CD for RH2 = 5 % are lower than those for RH2 = 0 %. The CO, HCHO and CH3OH emissions for RH2 = 5 % are also much lower than those for RH2 = 0 %, while the NO emission for RH2 = 5 % is also higher than that for RH2 = 0 %. The impact order of adding H2 to reduce emissions of H2/methanol dual-injection engine is: CO ≥ HCHO > unburned CH3OH.

Investigation on formaldehyde generation characteristics and influencing factors of PODE/methanol dual-fuel combustion mode.

Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (PODE) and methanol are important low-carbon substitutable fuels for reducing carbon emissions in internal combustion engines. In the research, the impacts of methanol ratio, injection timing, and intake temperature on HCHO generation and emission were investigated using both engine tests and numerical simulations. Results suggest that an increase in methanol ratio suppresses auto-ignition tendency of PODE, leading to the increase of ignition delay period, pressure peak, and heat release rate peak inside the cylinder. The decrease in in-cylinder combustion temperature contributes to an increase in HCHO emission due to partial oxidation of methanol in the cylinder and exhaust pipe. While the injection timing is gradually postponed from -10 °CA ATDC to 2 °CA ATDC, in-cylinder high-temperature area decreases, the quantity of unburned methanol increases, but part of HCHO is converted to HCO due to H radical influence, resulting in 72% increased HCHO emission. With the increment of intake temperature, the oxidation and decomposition of in-cylinder methanol accelerate, leading to an improvement in combustion stability, more uniform temperature distribution, and a decrease in unburned methanol, which results in lower HCHO emission. When the intake temperature is rose from 30 to 60 °C, HCHO emission decreases by 11.2%.

Computational study of added H2 impacts on mixture formation, OH radical and unregulated emissions of spark-ignition methanol engine under various boundary parameters

Numerical simulations of hydrogen (H2) impacts on mixture formation, OH radical generation, and formaldehyde (HCHO) and unburned methanol (CH3OH) emissions of spark-ignition (SI) methanol engine based methanol late-injection strategy under different methanol injection timings (MIT), ignition timings (IT), excess air ratios (λ) and added H2 ratios (RH2) boundary parameters were conducted. The simulation results show that the ideal methanol concentration distribution is obtained at the MIT = 85°CA BTDC. The OH radical plays a dominant role in methanol oxidation. The OHPMF (peak OH radical mass fraction) of RH2 = 9 % ≫ OHPMF of RH2 = 6 % > OHPMF of RH2 = 3 % > OHPMF of RH2 = 0 % at MIT = 85°CA BTDC. Compared with IT and λ, the RH2 is more decisive for the generation of OH radical. The HCHO is a major intermediate and an important unregulated emission of methanol engine. In the initial stage of methanol reaction, added H2 can accelerate the generation of OH radical, further promote the oxidation of methanol, and greatly raise the generation of HCHO. The peak HCHO mass fraction increases with the increase of RH2. At MIT = 85°CA BTDC and exhaust valve opening, the HCHO emission of RH2 = 3 %, 6 %, and 9 % is approximately 51 %, 76.5 % and 89.4 % lower than that of RH2 = 0 %, respectively. The generation and post-oxidation of HCHO mainly depended on average in-cylinder temperature. There is a lowest CH3OH emission at MIT = 85°CA BTDC, IT = 28°CA BTDC, λ = 1.4 and pure methanol. At MIT = 85°CA BTDC, λ = 1.4 and exhaust valve opening, the CH3OH emission of RH2 = 3 %, 6 %, and 9 % is approximately 52.8 %, 75.5 % and 92.5 % lower than that of RH2 = 0 %, respectively.

VOCs hyperspectral imaging: A new insight into evaluate emissions and the corresponding health risk from industries

The harm of VOCs emitted from industries to surrounding atmospheric environment and human health was well known and had received continuous attention. In order to improve the quality of urban atmospheric environment and the living environment of urban residents, a large number of original urban industries had been relocated to economically underdeveloped suburbs, which has significantly deteriorated the atmospheric environment in these areas and brought potential health risks to local vulnerable residents, which is actually an unfair manifestation under the background of economic development and ecological civilization construction. There were many residents near industrial parks, but there was a significant lack of VOCs monitoring equipment and data. At present, the time resolution of the most commonly used in situ method was seriously insufficient, and it was unable to quantify the diffusion/transport process of VOCs. It was urgent to have effective detection methods for industrial VOCs plume concentration and diffusion/transport process. In this study, we proposed a hyperspectral imaging technology, which can realize long-term continuous imaging monitoring on plume concentrations of formaldehyde (HCHO), glyoxal (CHOCHO) and benzaldehyde (C6H5CHO) and their corresponding diffusion processes. The deviation between the imaging and in situ sampling concentrations in the outlet was 4–19 %. The spatial resolution of this technique reached meter level, and the temporal resolution of one pixel was better than 20 s. In this study, we carried out hyperspectral imaging of aldehyde VOCs for a chemical facility, a petrochemical facility and an industrial park containing various types of enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta. The maximum observed concentration of HCHO was 120.44 ± 12.14 ug/m3 with the emission flux of 39.27 ± 3.97 g/h, which was emitted from a petrochemical facility in Shanghai. A diffusion/transport model was established, and we found that the spatial distribution of HCHO, CHOCHO and C6H5CHO for the chemical facility case in Shanghai were all mainly along the southeast-northwest direction during one year. The health risk assessment emphasized that residents within 10 km north of the outlet of the chemical facility in Shanghai should pay more attention to the health risks caused by industrial HCHO emissions. More systematically and comprehensively hyperspectral imaging of VOCs emissions for different types of enterprises and different processes were expected to performed to greatly promote the establishment of a dynamic emission inventory and an effective health risk evaluation system in the future.

Effects of integrated aftertreatment system on regulated and unregulated emission characteristics of non-road methanol/diesel dual-fuel engine

In order to ensure that output power, fuel economy and harmful emissions of non-road diesel engines meet the limit requirements, and reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, methanol/diesel dual-fuel combustion mode was conducted on an agricultural four-cylinder common-rail engine, and the effects of DOC + DPF + SCR aftertreatment system on overall performance and emission characteristics of dual-fuel mode were systematically investigated. Results show that dual-fuel mode can reduce both nitrogen oxide (NOx) and soot emissions, but increase nitrogen dioxide (NO2), methanol and formaldehyde (HCHO) emissions. With the increase of load, the conversion efficiency of diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) to carbon hydrogen (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), methanol and HCHO emissions is continuously improved. DOC can increase NO2/NOx ratio for diesel mode, but reduce NO2/NOx ratio for dual-fuel mode. At full load, the average soot capture efficiency of diesel particulate filter (DPF) for dual-fuel engine is 98.84%, basically realizing zero soot emission, while the conversion efficiency of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) for NOx is 95.22%. The increase of methanol ratio can reduce NOx emissions and nitrous oxide (N2O) generation in SCR for dual-fuel mode. Under non-road steady cycle (NRSC), the maximum brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of diesel mode and dual-fuel mode are 39.4% and 41.0%, respectively. The regulation emissions of dual-fuel engine coupling with integrated DOC + DPF + SCR aftertreatment system can meet non-road Euro-V and US-Tier 4 emission standards.

Investigation of formaldehyde sources and its relative emission intensity in shipping channel environment

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is considered one of the most abundant gas-phase carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere, which can be directly emitted through transportation sources. Long-Path Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (LP-DOAS) was used to observe HCHO in the river channel of Wusong Wharf in Shanghai, China for the whole year of 2019. Due to the impact of ship activity, the annual average HCHO level in the channel is about 2.5 times higher than that in the nearby campus environment. To explain the sources of HCHO under different meteorological conditions, the tracer-pair of CO and Ox (NO2+O3) was used on the clustered air masses. The results of the source appointment show that primary, secondary and background account for 24.14% (3.34 ± 1.19 ppbv), 44.78% (6.20 ± 2.04 ppbv) and 31.09% (4.31 ± 2.33 ppbv) of the HCHO in the channel when the air masses were from the mixed direction of the city and channel, respectively. By performing background station subtraction at times of high primary HCHO values and resolving the plume peaks, directly emitted HCHO/NO2 in the channel environment and plume were determined to be mainly distributed between 0.2 and 0.3. General cargo ships with higher sailing speeds or main engine powers tend to have higher HCHO/NO2 levels. With the knowledge of NO2 (or NOx) emission levels from ships, this study may provide data support for the establishment of HCHO emission factors.

Experimental Investigation of the Performance and Unburned Methanol, Formaldehyde, and Carbon Dioxide Emissions of a Methanol-Diesel Dual-Fuel Engine

In the context of global efforts to pursue carbon neutrality, the methanol-diesel reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) combustion has become a promising strategy for diesel engines to reduce emissions with higher thermal efficiency. To further improve the fuel economy of the methanol–diesel RCCI engine and reduce its unregulated emissions, the effects of methanol substitution rate (MSR) and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) on fuel economy, CO2, MeOH, and H-CHO emissions at different engine speed and load conditions were tested. The conversion efficiency of a conventional diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) in oxidizing the unregulated emissions under the World Harmonized Steady-State Cycle (WHSC) was also evaluated. The results showed that running the engine in methanol-diesel RCCI mode can significantly improve fuel economy at medium to high loads [greater than 1.18 MPa brake mean effective pressure (BMEP)]. The equivalent brake specific fuel consumption (ESFC) in the RCCI mode was lower than that of the baseline CDC mode, and the utilization of EGR can further improved fuel economy at lower load conditions. The MeOH and H-CHO emissions increased as the MSR increased, and they decreased as the load level and EGR rate increased. The CO2 emissions decreased as the MSR increased, but they increased as the EGR rate increased. The conversion efficiencies of DOC for MeOH, H-CHO and aromatic hydrocarbons (AHC) were around 93%, 84%, and 61%, respectively, under the WHSC test. Exhaust after-treatment by DOC is an effective solution to reduce unburned MeOH and H-CHO from methanol-diesel dual-fuel engines, and to extend RCCI operating range.

Inverse Modeling of Formaldehyde Emissions and Assessment of Associated Cumulative Ambient Air Exposures at Fine Scale

Among air toxics, formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important contributor to urban cancer risk. Emissions of HCHO in the United States are systematically under-reported and may enhance atmospheric ozone and particulate matter, intensifying their impacts on human health. During the 2021 Michigan-Ontario Ozone Source Experiment (MOOSE), mobile real-time (~1 s frequency) measurements of ozone, nitrogen oxides, and organic compounds were conducted in an industrialized area in metropolitan Detroit. The measured concentrations were used to infer ground-level and elevated emissions of HCHO, CO, and NO from multiple sources at a fine scale (400 m horizontal resolution) based on the 4D variational data assimilation technique and the MicroFACT air quality model. Cumulative exposure to HCHO from multiple sources of both primary (directly emitted) and secondary (atmospherically formed) HCHO was then simulated assuming emissions inferred from inverse modeling. Model-inferred HCHO emissions from larger industrial facilities were greater than 1 US ton per year while corresponding emission ratios of HCHO to CO in combustion sources were roughly 2 to 5%. Moreover, simulated ambient HCHO concentrations depended significantly on wind direction relative to the largest sources. The model helped to explain the observed HCHO concentration gradient between monitoring stations at Dearborn and River Rouge in 2021.

Dichotomy of predictor variables of indoor air quality and prevailing public perception of green living space – A preliminary assessment

Indoor environmental quality has a profound effect on human health and productivity. In this respect, this study evaluates indoor air quality in terms of its various parameters in sustainably built homes in three different locations. A supplementary study to examine the formaldehyde emission levels from furniture with three different finishes was also undertaken. A questionnaire-based survey was then conducted to evaluate the general public perception of the prevailing indoor air quality in the three locations. The results revealed that temperature, relative humidity, indoor air speed, particulate matter (PM10), CO2, NO2, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and formaldehyde (HCHO) readings were not significantly different between the three locations and were below the existing limit allowed for indoor environmental quality. However, the HCHO emission was the highest from furniture with the two-layer coatings, followed by single layer coating, and finally the furniture with the veneer overlay. It was noteworthy that the general public’s awareness and knowledge of indoor air quality was relatively poor, except for the tertiary level educated respondents. In this regard, policymakers need to increase the awareness and knowledge of indoor environmental quality among the general public, if non-compliance is to be detected and promptly addressed.

Characterizing Operating Condition-Based Formaldehyde Emissions of Light-Duty Diesel Trucks in China Using a PEMS-HCHO System.

Formaldehyde (HCHO) plays a critical role in atmospheric photochemistry and public health. While existing studies have suggested that vehicular exhaust is an important source of HCHO, the operating condition-based diesel truck HCHO emission measurements remain severely limited due to the limited temporal resolution and accuracy of measurement techniques. In this study, we characterized the second-by-second HCHO emissions from 29 light-duty diesel trucks (LDDTs) in China over dynamometer and real-world driving tests using a portable online HCHO emission measurement system (PEMS-HCHO), considering various operating conditions. Our results suggested that the HCHO emissions from LDDTs might be underestimated by the widely used offline DNPH-HPLC method. The HCHO emissions at a 200 s cold start from China V LDDT can be up to 50 mg/start. Different driving conditions over dynamometer and real-world driving tests led to a 2-4 times difference in the HCHO emission factors (EFs). Under real-world hot-running conditions, the HCHO EFs of China III, IV, V, and VI LDDTs were 43.5 ± 35.7, 10.6 ± 14.2, 8.8 ± 5.1, and 3.2 ± 1.2 mg/km, respectively, which significantly exceeded the latest California low emission vehicle III HCHO emission standard (2.5 mg/km). These findings highlighted the significant impact of vehicle operating conditions on HCHO emissions and the urgency of regulating HCHO emissions from LDDTs in China.

Evaluating the emission of VOCs and HCHO from furniture based on the surface finish methods and retention periods

Furniture emits various VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and formaldehyde (HCHO) into the indoor air. These indoor air pollutants can cause SBS (Sick Building Syndrome), such as sickness, headache, dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, and loss of concentration. This paper aims to provide essential data for improving indoor air quality by identifying the characteristics of the emission of VOCs and HCHO according to the characteristics of raw materials and finishing methods for furniture materials. As a methodology, a small chamber experiment was conducted with eight different test pieces with different base materials compositions and surface finishing methods. VOCs and HCHO were collected and analyzed by GC/MS (Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry) and HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography). The result showed that the TVOC in the composite material differed according to the retention period of the raw material. HCHO preferentially affects the processing method and the storage period after molding rather than the retention period of raw materials. TVOC emission was lower when the surface finishing method was applied, like paint finish. HCHO emission was getting lower when the adhesive was used during molding. Furniture applied to new houses is installed indoors in the form of finished products (composite materials). It was confirmed that the emission amount from furniture was generally higher than that of the general interior finishing material. Not only using eco-friendly raw materials, securing a specific retention period for raw materials, selecting eco-friendly processing methods, securing a particular retention period after molding, and post-construction management (ventilation and bake-out) should be done through a comprehensive evaluation of furniture.

Open biomass burning emissions and their contribution to ambient formaldehyde in Guangdong province, China.

Formaldehyde (HCHO) plays a vital role in atmospheric chemistry and O3 formation. Open biomass burning (OBB) is considered to be an important source of HCHO; however, its quantitative contribution to ambient HCHO remains poorly understood due to the lack of reliable high-resolution emission inventories. In this study, a satellite-based method coupled with local emission factors was developed to estimate the hourly primary emissions of HCHO and volatile organic compound (VOC) precursors from OBB in Guangdong (GD) Province of southern China. Furthermore, the contribution of OBB to ambient HCHO was quantified using the Community Multi-scale Air Quality model. The results suggested that in average OBB emissions contributed 5293 tons of primary HCHO per year, accounting for ~14% of the total anthropogenic HCHO emissions in GD. The ambient HCHO concentration ranged from 0.3 ppbv to 8.7 ppbv during normal days, and from 8 ppbv to 45 ppbv in downwind area during OBB impacted days. The monthly contribution of OBB to local HCHO levels reached up to 50% at locations with frequent fires and over 70% during a forest fire event. Ambient HCHO was heavily affected by primary OBB emissions near the source region and by the oxidation of OBB-emitted VOCs in the downwind area. Secondary HCHO formation from OBB emissions was enhanced during photochemical pollution episodes, especially under conditions of high O3 and low NOx. OBB-emitted ethene was identified as the most important VOC precursor of HCHO and contributed to the formation of ~50% of the secondary HCHO. The HCHO formation potential of cropland fires was 26% higher than that of forest fires. Our results suggest that OBB can elevate ambient HCHO levels significantly. Thus, strict control policies on OBB should be implemented, especially for open burning agricultural residues in upwind areas on serious photochemical pollution days.

Experimental investigation on combustion characteristics and influencing factors of PODE/methanol dual-fuel engine

PODE/methanol dual-fuel combustion mode was conducted on a four-cylinder common-rail engine with PODE direct injection and methanol intake fumigation. This study is aimed to investigate the effects of methanol substitution ratio (MSR), injection timing and inlet temperature on in-cylinder combustion, emission characteristics and fuel economy of dual-fuel engine. Results show that with the increase of MSR, the ignition delay of dual-fuel engine is prolonged, and the COV increases. At medium and small loads, the peak combustion pressure decreases, and the combustion phase is delayed. At high load, the peak values of heat release rate and combustion pressure increase, combustion duration is shortened, and slight knock occurs at 40% MSR. Dual-fuel mode has benefits in reduction of NOx and soot, while increases NO2 and HCHO emissions. With the delay of injection timing, combustion duration is first prolonged and then shortened. The excessive delay of injection timing leads to increased fluctuation of combustion pressure, and partial misfire occurs. With the increase of inlet temperature, the peak values of heat release rate and combustion pressure increase significantly, combustion duration is shortened, and the COV increases. At the inlet temperature of 65 °C, methanol spontaneous combustion occurs near TDC, and thermal efficiency increases to 44.6%.

Effects of EGR combined with DOC on emission characteristics of a two-stage injected Fischer-Tropsch diesel/methanol dual-fuel engine

Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) diesel and methanol are widely regarded as promising clean alternative fuels for engines. The emergence of reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) combustion mode provides new approaches to the application of F-T diesel and methanol in diesel engines, but there is a pressing need to further reduce engine emissions. To this end, a dual-fuel engine test bench was built based on a high-pressure common rail diesel engine with a methanol injection system at the intake manifold combined with a two-stage in-cylinder direct injection (pre-injection + main injection) F-T diesel. The combined effects of methanol substitution ratio (MSR), exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) on the combustion and emission characteristics of the dual-fuel engine was investigated at 2000 rpm and 75 % load. The results show that EGR improves the combustion characteristics of the F-T diesel/methanol dual-fuel engine while adding a DOC significantly reduces engine gaseous emissions. However, as the MSR and EGR rate increase, NOx emissions decrease, but other emissions increase. NOx emissions were reduced by 73 % compared to the original engine emissions for an MSR of 30 % and an EGR rate of 15 % without a DOC. When the MSR is 0 %, the DOC promotes the conversion of NO to NO2. While, when the MSR greater than 0, the DOC promotes the conversion of NO2 to NO. When equipped with a DOC, CO, NO, NO2, NOx, MeOH, and HCHO emissions decrease as the EGR rate increases, with the reduction of CO and MeOH emissions being greater than 99.5 % and 93 %, respectively, and the maximum conversion efficiency for HCHO emissions being 82 %. The present study showcases the key challenges as well as advantages in the use of EGR combined with a DOC assisting the application of coal-based alternative fuels in dual-fuel engines.