Investigation of the motor vehicle exhaust contribution to primary fine particle organic carbon in urban air

Motor vehicle (MV) emissions and ambient particle concentrations under a variety of situations were studied in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada. Petroleum biomarkers (i.e., hopanes and steranes) were used to determine the fraction of fine particle organic carbon (OC) attributed to primary particles in MV exhaust. Source profiles obtained from a tunnel and from direct tailpipe emissions were applied to ambient measurements at locations ranging from rush hour traffic to a regional background site. The greatest amount of MV OC, 4.0 μgC m−3 out of 9.1 μgC m−3 or 43%, was observed 75 m south of a commuter highway during a period that included morning rush hour. Monthly estimates of MV-OC were determined for a downtown Toronto monitoring site for 2 years. Total OC concentrations were greater in the summer, due to secondary OC, but the amount of MV-OC did not exhibit a strong seasonal pattern. However, on a per cent basis, MV contributions from primary OC emissions were greatest in the winter (15–20%) and smallest in the summer (10–15%) with a two-year average of 14% of the OC or about 5% of the PM2.5.