Emission measurements from a crude oil tanker at sea

Environ Sci Technol. 2008 Oct 1;42(19):7098-103. doi: 10.1021/es703102y.

Abstract

This work presents an all-inclusive set of regulated and nonregulated emission factors for the main propulsion engine (ME), auxiliary engine (AE) and an auxiliary boiler on a Suezmax class tanker while operating at sea. The data include criteria pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and particulate matter), a greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide), the principal speciated hydrocarbons needed for human health risk assessments, and a detailed analysis of the PM into its primary constituents (ions, elements, organic, and elemental carbon). Measurements followed ISO 8178-1 methods with modifications described in the paper. The vessel burned two fuels: a heavy fuel oil in the ME and boiler and a distillate fuel in the AE. The weighted NO(x) emissions for the ME and AE are 19.87 +/- 0.95 and 13.57 +/- 0.31 g/kWh, respectively. The weighted PM mass emissions factor is 1.60 +/- 0.08 g/kWh for the ME and 0.141 +/- 0.005 g/kWh for the AE, with the sulfate content of the PM being the root cause for the difference. For the ME, sulfate with associated water is about 75% of total PM mass, and the organic carbon ranges from 15 to 25% of the PM mass. A deeper analysis showed that the conversion of fuel sulfur to sulfate in the ME ranged from 1.4to 5%. This article also provides emission factors for selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy alkanes, carbonyls, light hydrocarbon species, metals, and ions for the ME, AE, and the boiler.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbon / analysis
  • Elements
  • Gases / analysis
  • Metals / analysis
  • Methane / analysis
  • Oceans and Seas
  • Particulate Matter / analysis
  • Petroleum / analysis*
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis
  • Ships*
  • Vehicle Emissions / analysis*

Substances

  • Elements
  • Gases
  • Metals
  • Particulate Matter
  • Petroleum
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
  • Vehicle Emissions
  • Carbon
  • Methane