Speaker
Description
A significant component of urban particulate matter (PM2.5) is black carbon (BC). BC is a primary pollutant and is emitted during the combustion of carbonaceous fuels. It is one of the most powerful light-absorbing substances in the atmosphere and significantly contributes to climate change. Black carbon particles can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract and contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. One of the major sources of BC is traffic, particularly diesel-powered vehicles. We will present the results of a recently published on-road measurement study that independently monitored the efficiency of the European vehicle emission standards. The study shows that diesel particulate filters (DPFs) reduce black carbon (BC) emission factors by 88% compared to pre-DPF Euro 4 diesel-powered cars [1]. We will also show the impact that the emission standards have on ambient air BC levels, and alternative mitigation strategies such as excluding super emitters from the vehicle fleet [2], and the impact of restricted areas and low-emission zones [3].
[1] Ježek Brecelj et al., Atmo.Chem.Phys., 2025
[2] Ježek et al., Atmo.Envir., 2018
[3]Titos et al., Atmo.Envir., 2015
