Nitrogen stable isotope composition (δ15N) of vehicle-emitted NOx

Environ Sci Technol. 2015 Feb 17;49(4):2278-85. doi: 10.1021/es505580v. Epub 2015 Feb 6.

Abstract

The nitrogen stable isotope ratio of NOx (δ(15)N-NOx) has been proposed as a regional indicator for NOx source partitioning; however, knowledge of δ(15)N values from various NOx emission sources is limited. This study presents a detailed analysis of δ(15)N-NOx emitted from vehicle exhaust, the largest source of anthropogenic NOx. To accomplish this, NOx was collected from 26 different vehicles, including gasoline and diesel-powered engines, using a modification of a NOx collection method used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and δ(15)N-NOx was analyzed. The vehicles sampled in this study emitted δ(15)N-NOx values ranging from -19.1 to 9.8‰ that negatively correlated with the emitted NOx concentrations (8.5 to 286 ppm) and vehicle run time because of kinetic isotope fractionation effects associated with the catalytic reduction of NOx. A model for determining the mass-weighted δ(15)N-NOx from vehicle exhaust was constructed on the basis of average commute times, and the model estimates an average value of -2.5 ± 1.5‰, with slight regional variations. As technology improvements in catalytic converters reduce cold-start emissions in the future, it is likely to increase current δ(15)N-NOx values emitted from vehicles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants / analysis*
  • Automobiles
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Gasoline
  • Nitrogen Isotopes / analysis*
  • Nitrogen Oxides / analysis*
  • Vehicle Emissions / analysis*

Substances

  • Air Pollutants
  • Gasoline
  • Nitrogen Isotopes
  • Nitrogen Oxides
  • Vehicle Emissions