Volatile organic compounds in a residential and commercial urban area with a diesel, compressed natural gas and oxygenated gasoline vehicular fleet

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2010 Feb;84(2):175-9. doi: 10.1007/s00128-009-9886-2. Epub 2009 Sep 29.

Abstract

Air samples were collected in a typical residential and commercial area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where buses and trucks use diesel and light duty vehicles use compressed natural gas, ethanol, and gasohol (gasoline blended with ethanol) as fuel. A total of 66 C3-C12 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified. The most abundant compounds, on a mass concentration basis, included propane, isobutane, i-pentane, m,p-xylene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, toluene, styrene, ethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, o-xylene and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene. Two VOCs photochemical reactivity rankings are presented: one involves reaction with OH and the other involves production of ozone.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants, Occupational / analysis*
  • Brazil
  • Carbon Monoxide / analysis
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Fossil Fuels / analysis*
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Gasoline / analysis*
  • Organic Chemicals / analysis*
  • Oxidants, Photochemical / analysis
  • Oxygen / chemistry*
  • Ozone / analysis
  • Vehicle Emissions / analysis*

Substances

  • Air Pollutants, Occupational
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Gasoline
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Oxidants, Photochemical
  • Vehicle Emissions
  • Ozone
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Oxygen