Real-time emission factor measurements of isocyanic acid from light duty gasoline vehicles

Recent work has demonstrated the potential for vehicle based anthropogenic sources of the carcinogen isocyanic acid (HNCO) in urban environments. Although emission factors for HNCO have recently been measured for light duty diesel vehicles, light duty gasoline vehicles are not well characterized. Here we will present real-time emission factor measurements of HNCO for light duty gasoline vehicles measured at the California Air Resource Board's Haagen-Smit Laboratory in September of 2011 driven on a chassis dynamometer using the California Unified Driving Cycle. Emission factors for HNCO were determined for eight light duty gasoline vehicles utilizing a fast response chemical ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer and simultaneous real-time measurements of CO, CO2, and NOx. We will discuss the potential production mechanism for HNCO by light duty gasoline vehicles as well as the potential drive cycle dependency of HNCO production.