title: Bioethanol Blending Reduces Nanoparticle, PAH, and Alkyl- and Nitro-PAH Emissions and the Genotoxic Potential of Exhaust from a Gasoline Direct Injection Flex-Fuel Vehicle.
abstract: Bioethanol as an alternative fuel is widely used as a substitute for gasoline and also in gasoline direct injection (GDI) vehicles, which are quickly replacing traditional port-fuel injection (PFI) vehicles. Better fuel efficiency and increased engine power are reported advantages of GDI vehicles. However, increased emissions of soot-like nanoparticles are also associated with GDI technology with yet unknown health impacts. In this study, we compare emissions of a flex-fuel Euro-5 GDI vehicle operated with gasoline (E0) and two ethanol/gasoline blends (E10 and E85) under transient and steady driving conditions and report effects on particle, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), and alkyl- and nitro-PAH emissions and assess their genotoxic potential. Particle number emissions when operating the vehicle in the hWLTC (hot started worldwide harmonized light-duty vehicle test cycle) with E10 and E85 were lowered by 97 and 96% compared with that of E0. CO emissions dropped by 81 and 87%, while CO2emissions were reduced by 13 and 17%. Emissions of selected PAHs were lowered by 67-96% with E10 and by 82-96% with E85, and the genotoxic potentials dropped by 72 and 83%, respectively. Ethanol blending appears to reduce genotoxic emissions on this specific flex-fuel GDI vehicle; however, other GDI vehicle types should be analyzed.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Norbert V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Heeb
authors.forename: Regula
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haag
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Honegger
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zeyer
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mohn
authors.affiliation: UASB, University of Applied Sciences Bern , Laboratory for Exhaust Emission Control, Gwerdtstrasse 5, CH-2560 Nidau, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Comte
authors.affiliation: UASB, University of Applied Sciences Bern , Laboratory for Exhaust Emission Control, Gwerdtstrasse 5, CH-2560 Nidau, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Czerwinski
mesh_terms: D005742:Gasoline; D053758:Nanoparticles; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D053260:Soot; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
chemical_list: D005742:Gasoline; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D053260:Soot; D001335:Vehicle Emissions