Measurement of Black Carbon and Co-pollutants Emitted from Diesel Vehicles in Mexico

Freight, public transport, and heavy-duty trucks can contribute to harmful emissions of black carbon and other co-pollutants in many urban areas. Controlling the emissions of black carbon from the transport sector is important for the potential of mitigating its impacts on climate, ecosystems, and human health. However, reducing the emissions of black carbon from mobile sources is be a challenging task in many developing urban areas due to economic, social, and technical constrains, as well as the uncertainties surrounding the accurate quantification of the associated benefits. Several emissions control technologies offer a proven approach for reducing emissions of black carbon from diesel-powered mobile sources, but the accurate quantification of associated emissions benefits in developing urban areas is not well documented. We present the results of the measurement of black carbon and co-emitted pollutants of dozens of diesel powered vehicles, including freight trucks, public transport buses, and intra-city metrobuses sampled during a 4-day experiment in Mexico City in February of 2013 as part of the SLCFs-Mexico project. Measurements were obtained with the Aerodyne Mobile Laboratory, remote sensing, and portable emissions measurements, and encompassed the sampling of several vehicle models and technologies in experimental and real-world driving conditions. The results can help in the identification of key factors that hinder the implementation of control emissions for reducing emissions of black carbon elsewhere and the potential benefits of implementing various emission control technologies.