PM_2.5: global progress in controlling the motor vehicle contribution

Abstract

It is well established that ambient particles in the size range of 2.5 microns or less case a wide variety of adverse health effects. According to a recent study from the World Health Organization, in 2010 these effects resulted in approximately 3.2 million premature deaths with vehicles being one of the significant contributors. Diesel vehicle particulate emissions which are virtually all smaller than 2.5 microns raise additional special concerns due to their carcinogenicity and high ratio of black carbon (BC) to organic carbon; black carbon has recently been found to be the second most important contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide. Other pollutants emitted by diesels and other vehicles such as the oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds also contribute to ambient particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in size (PM_2.5) after undergoing secondary transformations in the atmosphere. Technologies have been developed that can dramatically reduce vehicle emissions when clean, low sulfur fuels are available and these technologies are being phased in throughout the industrialized world resulting in a global decrease in particulate matter (PM) and BC emissions from vehicles. However the vehicle population is growing rapidly in the developing world, leading to increases in emissions in many countries. Unless these rapidly industrializing countries move to state of the art vehicles and clean fuels, global PM, BC and NO_x emissions from road vehicles will start to turn up over the next 10 to 15 years.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

particulate / black carbon / climate change / diesels

Michael P. Walsh is a mechanical engineer who has spent his entire career working on motor vehicle pollution control issues at the local, national and international level. For the first half of his career, he was in government service, initially with the City of New York and subsequently with the US Environmental Protection Agency. With each, he served as Director of their motor vehicle pollution control efforts. Since leaving government, he has been an independent consultant advising governments and industries around the world. He served as co-chairman of the US EPA’s Mobile Sources Technical Advisory Subcommittee for approximately 12 years and has been a member of several National Academy of Sciences Committees. He is a recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Lifetime Individual Achievement Award, the California Air Resources Board’s “Haagen Smit” award and was selected as a MacArthur Fellow for “extraordinary originality and dedication”. In 2009, he received the Silver Magnolia award for his service to the City of Shanghai. In 2010 he received the Friendship award, the highest award for international experts in China. He is the Founding Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Council on Clean Transportation. In 2012, he co-chaired the CCICED special project regarding Controlling Regional Air Pollution in China.

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