Redox activity and PAH content in size-classified nanoparticles emitted by a diesel engine fuelled with biodiesel and diesel blends

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) 2014-01, Vol.116, p.490-497
• Main Authors: Guarieiro, Aline L.N., Santos, João V. da S., Eiguren-Fernandez, Arantzazu, Torres, Ednildo A., da Rocha, Gisele O., de Andrade, Jailson B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollution caused by fuel industries; Applied sciences; Biodiesel; Blends; Carcinogenicity index; Diesel; Diesel engines; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Engines and turbines; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Metering. Control; PAH emission factor; PAH particle size distribution; Particle size distribution; Polyallylamine hydrochloride; Polymer blends; Redox activity
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2013.08.029

[Display omitted] •The effect of (bio)diesel blends on the chemical properties of engine exhaust.•PAH emission factors associated to particles were higher for B100 than B4.•BaPE size distributions and PM redox activity increased for B100 in relation to B4.•PAH size distribution was found in higher levels in the accumulation mode.•Addition of biodiesel to diesel promotes benefices in environmental and health concerns. Diesel and biodiesel emissions are important sources of ambient air pollution. Therefore, the influence of using different blending percentages of biodiesel to diesel as fuel on redox activity, particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) emission profiles, and the corresponding carcinogenicity index (BaPE) size distributions are not well known. In this way, the present work aims to investigate the effect of diesel/biodiesel blends on the physical, chemical, and toxicological properties of diesel engine exhaust at low condition, through the study of the changes in size-distribution and emission factors of PAH associated to PM, corresponding carcinogenicity index (BaPE) size distributions and PM redox activity. For that, particle emissions from commercial petroleum-based diesel with 4% of soy biodiesel (B4), a biodiesel blend of 25% and 50% (B25 and B50) and also pure biodiesel (B100) were measured on a steady-state dynamometer in a test using a diesel engine at low load. Size-fractionated PM samples were collected by using the NanoMOUDI impactor and analyzed for the 16 priority PAH by HPLC–fluorescence detector. In addition, PM2.5 samples were collected and analyzed for redox activity by DTT assay. PM was distributed in all sizes, while PAH size distribution was found in higher levels in the accumulation mode (30nm