On‐line analysis of diesel engine exhaust gases by selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry

Abstract

Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) has been used to analyse on-line and in real time the exhaust gas emissions from a Caterpillar 3304 diesel engine under different conditions of load (idle and 50% of rated load) and speed (910, 1500 and 2200 rpm) using three types of fuel: an ultra-low-sulphur diesel, a rapeseed methyl ester and gas oil. SIFT-MS analyses of the alkanes, alkenes and aromatic hydrocarbons in the headspace of these fuels were also performed, but the headspace of the rapeseed methyl ester consists mainly of methanol and a compound with the molecular formula C4H8O. The exhaust gases were analysed for NO and NO2 using O2+* reagent ions and for HNO2 using H3O+ reagent ions. The following aldehydes and ketones in the exhaust gases were quantified by using the combination of H3O+ and NO+ reagent ions: formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propenal, propanal, acetone, butanal, pentanal, butanone and pentanone. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and pentenal, all known respiratory irritants associated with sensitisation to asthma of workers exposed to diesel exhaust, are variously present within the range 100-2000 ppb. Hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases accessible to SIFT-MS analyses were also quantified as total concentrations of the various isomers of C3H4, C3H6, C4H6, C5H8, C5H10, C6H8, C6H10, C7H14, C6H6, C7H8, C8H10 and C9H12.

Progress in SIFT‐MS: Breath analysis and other applications

“…During the development of SIFT-MS we have consciously carried out pilot studies in several areas to demonstrate its potential, including exposure to toxic gases in health and safety studies (Smith et al, 1998), cell biology (Smith, Wang, & Š paněl, 2002a;, the analysis of environmental air in pollution studies, in particular the emissions from petrol and diesel combustion engines (Smith, Cheng, & Š paněl, 2002;Smith et al, 2004), the odorous emissions from animal waste (Smith, Š paněl, & Jones, 2000) and the rumen of diary cows (Dewhurst et al, 2001), and in food flavor research (Š paněl & Smith, 1999d). We have summarized these pilot studies and discussed other areas in which SIFT-MS can be valuable in our previous review .…”

Chemical ionization using CF3+: Efficient detection of small alkanes and fluorocarbons

“…The most general CI reaction for VOC analysis is Proton Transfer Reaction (PTR) [3]. It has been associated with several types of mass spectrometers [4][5][6][7] and found numerous applications such as food and aroma components analysis [8], environmental analysis [9], and atmospheric research [10]. Recent areas of PTRMS study are medical sciences [11] and detection of warfare agents [12,13] or explosives [14].…”

Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-2008-0241-3113, evaluation of chemical and particle exposures during vehicle fire suppression training, Miami Township Fire and Rescue, Yellow Springs, Ohio.

“…The motor pump operator was exposed to toluene and formaldehyde at concentrations below OELs. The source of these compounds could have been emissions from the vehicle fires or diesel exhaust from the fire apparatus [Ulfvarson et al 1987;Smith et al 2004;Mabilia et al 2006]. For the other fire fighters, the PBZ concentrations we reported represent potential inhalation exposures due to the added protection of the SCBAs they wore.…”