Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics www.atmos-chem-phys.net 1680-7316 1680-7324 6 8 2006 10.5194/acp-6-2161-2006 http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/6/2161/2006/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/6/2161/2006/acp-6-2161-2006.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/6/2161/2006/acp-6-2161-2006.pdf 2161 2176 2006-06-20 Impacts of using reformulated and oxygenated fuel blends on the regional air quality of the upper Rhine valley J.-F. Vinuesa Ph. Mirabel J.-L. Ponche Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie de l'Atmosphère, Centre de Géochimie de la Surface, 1 rue Blessig, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France now at: European Commission - DG Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Italy The effects of using three alternative gasoline fuel blends on regional air quality of the upper Rhine valley have been investigated. The first of the tested fuels is oxygenated by addition of ethyl-tertio-butyl ether (ETBE), the second is based on a reformulation of its composition and the third on is both oxygenated and reformulated. The upper Rhine valley is a very sensitive region for pollution episodes and several meteorological and air quality studies have already been performed. High temporal and spatial emission inventories are available allowing relevant and realistic modifications of the emission inventories. The calculation period, i.e., 11 May 1998, corresponds to a regional photochemical ozone pollution episode during which ozone concentrations exceeded several times the information threshold of the ozone directive of the European Union (180 μg m^-3 as 1 hourly average). New emission inventories are set up using specific emission factors related to the alternative fuels by varying the fraction of gasoline passenger cars (from 50% to 100%) using the three fuel blends. Then air quality modeling simulations are performed using these emission inventories over the upper Rhine valley. The impact of alternative fuels on regional air quality is evaluated by comparing these simulations with the one using a reference emission inventory, e.g., where no modifications of the fuel composition are included. The results are analyzed by focusing on peak levels and daily averaged concentrations. The use of the alternative fuels leads to general reductions of ozone and volatile organic compounds (VOC) and increases of NO_x levels. We found different behaviors related to the type of the area of concern i.e. rural or urban. The impacts on ozone are enhanced in urban areas where 15% reduction of the ozone peak and daily averaged concentrations can be reached. This behavior is similar for the NO_x for which, in addition, an increase of the levels can be noted in urban plumes over rural areas. The most important decreases of the total VOC levels are mainly located over rural areas (more than 5% reduction of the levels except in urban plumes). By comparing these results with those from a local study related to the air quality of Strasbourg, we estimate that the regional contribution to the urban air quality of Strasbourg allows an enhancement of the results by using alternative fuel blends at the regional scale. Adrian, G. and Fiedler, F.: Simulation of unstationary wind and temperature fields over complex terrain and comparison with observations, Beitr. Phys. Atmosph., 64, 27-48, 1991. Atkinson, R.: Gas-phase tropospheric chemistry of organic compounds, Journal of physical and chemical reference data, Monograph No 2, 1-216, 1994. Chock, D. P., Winkler, S. L., Chang, T. Y., Rudy, S. J., and Shen, Z. K.: Urban ozone air quality impact of emissions from vehicles using reformulated gasolines and M85, Atmos. Env., 28, 2777-2787, 1994. Derwent, R. G., Jenkin, M. E., Saunders, S. M., and Pilling, M. J.: Photochemical ozone creation potentials for organic compounds in northwest Europe calculated with a master chemical mechanism, Atmos. Env., 32, 2429-2441, 1998. Derwent, R. G., Jenkin, M. E., Saunders, S. M., Pilling, M. J., Simmonds, P. G., Passant, N. R., Dollard, G. J., Dumitrean, P., and Kent, A.: Photochemical ozone formation in north west Europe and its control, Atmos. Env., 37, 1983-1991, 2003. Gaffney, J. S. and Marley, N. A.: Alternative Fuels, in: Air Pollution Reviews: Volume 1. The Urban Air Atmosphere and Its Effects, edite by: Brimblecombe, P. and Maynard, R., Imperial College Press, London, UK, Chapter 6, pp 195-246, 2000. He, B.-Q., Wang, J.-X., Hao, J.-M., Yan, X.-G., and Xiao, J.-H.: A study on emission characteristics of an EFI engine with ethanol blended gasoline fuels, Atmos. Env., 37, 949-957, 2003. Hsieh, W.-D., Chen, R.-H., Wu, T.-L., and Lin, T.-H.: Engine performance and pollutant emission of an SI engine using ethanol-gasoline blended fuels, Atmos. Env., 36, 403-410, 2002. INTERREG II: Analyse transfrontalière de la qualité de l'air dans le Rhin supérieur - Grenzübergreifende Luftqualitätsanalyse am Oberrhein", Communauté de travail - Arbeitgemeinschaft ASPA (Association pour la Surveillance et l'étude de la pollution atmosphérique en Alsace) UMEG (Gesellschaft für Umweltmessungen und Umwelterhebungen mbH), Official document, edited by: Holler, H. W. und Verlag GmbH, Killisfeldstrasse 45, D-76227 Karlsruhe (Germany), 2000. Kirchner, F., Thuener, L. P., Barnes, L., Becker, K. H., Donner, B., and Zabel, F.: Thermal lifetimes of peroxynitrates occuring in the atmospheric degradation of oxygenated fuels additives, Env. Sci. Tech., 31, 1801-1804, 1997. Kivi, J., Niemi, A., Nylund, N., Kuto, M., and Orre, K.: Use of MTBE and ETBE as gasoline reformulation components, SAE Technical Paper 922379, 1992. Kumini, H., Ishizawa, S., and Yoshikawa, Y.: Three-dimensional air quality simulation study on low-emission vehicles in the southern California, Atmos. Env., 31, 145-158, 1997. Lopez de Rodas, B., and Marduel, J.-L.: Influence sur la nature et le niveau des émissions à l'échappement, d'une incorporation de composés oxygénés dans les essences, PV no 97/00581, U.T.A.C., BP212, 91311 Montlhery, France, 1997. Marthur, R. and Peters, L. K.: Sub-grid representation of emission source clusters in regional air quality modeling, Atmos. Env., 26, 3219-3238, 1992. McDonald, C., Shore, P., Lee, G., Otter, G. D., and Humphries, D.: The effect of gasoline composition on stochiometry and exhaust emissions, SAE Technical Paper 941868, 1994. Moussiopoulos, N.: The EUMAC zooming model, a tool for local-to-regional air quality studies, Meteorolog. Atmos. Phys., 57, 115-133, 1995. Noorman, M.: The effect of MTBE, DIPE and TAME on vehicle emissions, SAE Technical Paper 932668, 1993. Ponche, J.-L., Schneider, C., and Mirabel, Ph.: Methodology and results of the REKLIP atmospheric emission inventory of the upper Rhine valley transborder region, Wat. Air Soil Pollut., 124, 61-93, 2000. Ponche, J.-L. and Vinuesa, J.-F.: Emission scenarios for air quality management and applications at local and regional scales including the effects of the future European emission regulation (2015) for the upper Rhine valley, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 5, 999-1014, 2005. REKLIP: Atlas climatique du foss\'e Rh\'enan m\'eridional, 1 volume texte et 2 volumes cartes, Ed. COPRUR, F-67000 Strasbourg, 1995, ISBN 2-903297-097-5, 1995. REKLIP: Qualit\'e de l'Air et Climat R\'egional/LuftQualität und Regionalklima, Rapport final, volume 3/Schlussbericht Band 3, Ed COPRUR F-67000 Strasbourg, 1999, ISBN 2-84208-035-1, 1999. Reuter, R., Benson, J., Burns, V., Gorse, R., Hochhausser, A., Koelh, W., Painter, L., Rippon, B., and Rutherford, J.: Effects of oxygenated fuels and RVP on automotive emission auto-oil improvement program, SAE Technical Paper 920326, 1992. Schneider, Ch., Kessler, Ch., and Moussiopoulos, N.: Influence of emission input data on ozone level predictions for the Upper Rhine valley, Atmos. Environ., 31, 3187-3205, 1997. Sillman, S., Logan, J. A., and Wofsy, S. C.: The sensitivity of ozone to nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons in regional ozone episodes, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 1837-1851, 1990. Smith, D. F., Kleindienst, T. E., Hudgens, E. E., and McIver, C. D.: Kinetics and mechanism of the atmospheric oxidation of ethyl tertiary butyl ether, Int. J. Chem. Kin., 24, 199-215, 1992. Stockwell, W., Kirchner, F., and Kuhn, M.: A new mechanism for regional atmospheric chemistry modelling, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 3789-3812, 1997. Vinuesa, J.-F.: Modélisation de la qualité de l'air: Impact à l'échelle locale et régionale de l'utilisation de carburants automobiles modifiés, PhD thesis, L. Pasteur University of Strasbourg I, 2000. Vinuesa, J.-F., Hyacinthe, C., Fayet, S., Perron, G., Kleinpeter, J., Target, A., Mirabel, Ph., and Ponche, J.-L.: Upper Rhine valley air quality modeling for the 9-15th May 1998 episode and future abatement strategies, in: EUROTRAC-2 Symposium 2000, Springler-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, 2001. Vinuesa, J.-F., Mirabel, Ph., and Ponche J.-L.: Air quality effects of using reformulated and oxygenated gasoline fuel blends: Application to the Strasbourg area (F), Atmos. Environ., 37, 1757-1774, 2003.