Carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons in automobile effluents

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1972 · SAE Prog. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6937295

Begeman, C R

Part of the collaborative effort by the General Motors Research Laboratories and the Sloan-Kettering Institute to evaluate the contribution by automobiles to the trace amounts of carcinogenic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere is described. Benzene-Soluble tar, containing carcinogenic polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, is recovered from the total volume of exhaust and blowby gases of an engine operated on a simulated city driving schedule. Fuel composition was found to influence both the rate of emission of tar and the concentration in the tar of benzo(a)pyrene, a carcinogen. Isooctane and diisobutylene fuels gave only 20% as much tar as did a typical commercial gasoline, and a fuel comprised of equal volumes of ortho-xylene and benzene gave 70% as much tar as did gasoline. The emission rate of benzo(a) pyrene with diisobutylene fuel was only 7% of the rate with gasoline, whereas the benzo(a)pyrene emission rate with benzene + o-xylene fuel was 270% of the rate with gasoline. Benzo(a)pyrene emission in blowby gas was less than 4% of the total benzo(a)pyrene emitted from the engine. On the assumption that benzo(a)pyrene from automobiles settles out of the air in the same manner as the lead from exhaust gas, automobiles may contribute, on the average, about 2% of the total benzo(a)pyrene in the air over cities. On the other hand, if benzo(a)pyrene is dispersed with little or no settling, as is the case for carbon monoxide from exhaust gas, the contribution of benzo(a)pyrene by automobiles may average about 10%.

• OSTI ID: 6937295
• Journal Information: SAE Prog. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: SAE Prog. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 6; ISSN SAPTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AROMATICS
AUTOMOBILES
CARCINOGENS
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
DATA
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EXHAUST GASES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUIDS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
GASOLINE
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
LIQUID FUELS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLLUTION CONTROL
VEHICLES
WASTES