Spectrochemical Analytical Characterisation of Particulate Matter Emissions Generated from In-Use Diesel Engine Vehicles

Abstract

The pollutant emissions from vehicles are forming major sources of metallic nanoparticles into the environment and surrounding atmosphere. In this research we spectrochemicaly analyse chemical composition of Particle Matter emissions from in-use Diesel engine passenger vehicles. We have extracted Diesel Particulate Matter from the end part of the tail pipe, from more than seventy different vehicles. And in laboratory we have used the high resolution laser induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS) spectrochemical analytical technique to sensitively analyse chemical elements in different DPM. We have found that PM is composed of major, minor and trace chemical elements. The major compound of PM is not strictly Carbon element but rather other adsorbed metallic nanoparticles such as Iron, Chromium, Magnesium, Zinc, Calcium. Beside the major elements of DPM there are also minor elements: Silicon, Nickel, Titan, Potassium, Strontium, Molybdenium and others. Additionally in DPM are adsorbed atomic trace elements like Barium, Boron, Cobalt, Copper, Phosphorus, Manganese and Platinum. All these chemical elements are forming significant atomic composition of real PM from in-use Diesel engine vehicles.