Diesel engine exhaust (DE) consists of a complex mixture of gases and aerosols, originating from sources such as engines, turbines, and power generators. It is composed of a wide range of toxic compounds ranging from constituents that are irritating to those that are carcinogenic. The purposes of this work were to characterize DE originating from different engine types on a ship operating offshore and to quantify the potential exposure of workers on the ship's helicopter deck to select DE compounds. Sampling was conducted on a Norwegian Nansen-class frigate that included helicopter operations. Frigate engines and generators were fueled by marine diesel oil, while the helicopter engine was fueled by high flash point kerosene-type aviation fuel. Exhaust samples were collected directly from the stack of the diesel engine and one of the diesel generator exhaust stacks, inside a gas turbine exhaust stack, and at the exhaust outlet of the helicopter. To characterize the different exhaust sources, non-targeted screening of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds was performed for multiple chemical classes. Some of the compounds detected at the sources are known irritants, such as phthalic anhydride, 2,5-dyphenyl-p-benzoquinone, styrene, cinnoline, and phenyl maleic anhydride. The exhaust from the diesel engine and diesel generator was found to contain the highest amounts of particulate matter and gaseous compounds, while the gas turbine had the lowest emissions. Personal exposure samples were collected outdoors in the breathing zone of a helicopter deck operator over nine working shifts, simultaneously with stationary measurements on the helicopter deck. Elemental carbon, nitrogen dioxide, and several volatile organic compounds are known to be present in DE, such as formaldehyde, acrolein, and phenol were specifically targeted. Measured DE exposures of the crew on the helicopter deck were variable, but less than the current European occupational exposure limits for all compounds, except elemental carbon, in which concentration varied between 0.5 and 37 µg/m3 over nine work shifts. These findings are among the first published for this type of working environment.
Keywords: Diesel; elemental carbon; kerosene; nitrogen dioxide; seafarers; volatile organic compounds.