Rapid measurement of emissions from military aircraft turbine engines by downstream extractive sampling of aircraft on the ground: Results for C-130 and F-15 aircraft

Aircraft emissions affect air quality on scales from local to global. More than 20% of the jet fuel used in the U.S. is consumed by military aircraft, and emissions from this source are facing increasingly stringent environmental regulations, so improved methods for quickly and accurately determining emissions from existing and new engines are needed. This paper reports results of a study to advance the methods used for detailed characterization of military aircraft emissions, and provides emission factors for two aircraft: the F-15 fighter and the C-130 cargo plane. The measurements involved outdoor ground-level sampling downstream behind operational military aircraft. This permits rapid change-out of the aircraft so that engines can be tested quickly on operational aircraft. Measurements were made at throttle settings from idle to afterburner using a simple extractive probe in the dilute exhaust. Emission factors determined using this approach agree very well with those from the traditional method of extractive sampling at the exhaust exit. Emission factors are reported for CO₂, CO, NO, NO_x, and more than 60 hazardous and/or reactive organic gases. Particle size, mass and composition also were measured and are being reported separately. Comparison of the emissions of nine hazardous air pollutants from these two engines with emissions from nine other aircraft engines is discussed.     

Fast and quantitative measurement of benzene,toluene and C2-benzenes in automotive exhaust during transient engine operation with and without catalytic exhaust gas treatment

Time-Resolved Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry (CIMS) has been used to investigate the emission profiles of benzene, toluene and the C₂-benzenes (xylenes and ethyl benzene) in automotive exhaust during transient engine operation. On-line emission measurements with a frequency of 1–5 Hz clearly identified the critical driving conditions that are mainly responsible for the overall aromatic hydrocarbon emissions. The passenger car, equipped with a catalytic converter showed significant BTXE-emissions only in the first part of the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) due to sub-optimal catalyst temperature. On the same car without a catalytic converter, emissions of aromatic hydrocarbons were detected over the entire test run and the benzene–toluene mixing ratios of the exhaust gas were rather constant. With catalytic exhaust gas treatment the observed benzene–toluene mixing ratios varied to a greater extent reflecting predominantly different catalytic converter conditions. The average molar ratio of benzene over toluene rose from 0.33 to 0.53 upon exhaust gas treatment. With catalytic converter the emissions during extra urban (EUDC) driving repeatedly showed benzene–toluene mixing ratios >1 and an average molar benzene/toluene ratio of 0.74 was detected during the EUDC part of the driving cycle. Whereas the total hydrocarbon (T.HC) emissions were decreased by 83% upon exhaust gas treatment the overall reduction of the benzene emissions was only 70%.     

A study of extractive and remote-sensing sampling and measurement of emissions from military aircraft engines

Aircraft emissions contribute to the increased atmospheric burden of particulate matter (PM) that plays an important role in air quality, human health, visibility, contrail formation and climate change. Sampling and measurement of modern aircraft emissions at the engine exhaust plane (EEP) for engine and fuel certification remains challenging, as no agency-certified method is available. In this paper we summarize the results of three recent field studies devoted to investigate the consistency and applicability of “extractive” and “optical remote-sensing” (ORS) technologies in the sampling and measurement of gaseous and PM emitted by a number of military aircraft engines. Three classes of military engines were investigated; these include T56, TF33, and T700 & T701C types of engines, which consume 70–80% of the military aviation fuel each year. JP-8 and Fischer–Tropsch (FT)-derived paraffinic fuels were used to study the effect of fuels. It was found that non-volatile particles in the engine emissions were in the 20 nm range for the low power condition of new helicopter engines to 80 nm for the high power condition of legacy engines. Elemental analysis indicated little metals were present on particles, while most of the materials on the exhaust particles were carbon and sulfate based. Alkanes, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, ethylene, acetylene and propylene were detected. The last five species were most noticeable only under low engine power. The emission indices calculated based on the ORS data deviate significantly from those based on the extractive data. Nevertheless, the ORS techniques were useful in the sense that it provided non-intrusive real-time detection of species in the exhaust plume, which warrants further development. The results obtained in this program help validate sampling methodology and measurement techniques used for non-volatile PM aircraft emissions as described in the SAE AIR6037 (2009).     

Realistic Mixing Depths for Above Ground Aircraft Emissions

Analysis of vertical temperature soundings at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) shows that a conservative height of the inversion base for pollutant containment purposes is 490 ft (150 m). This altitude is considerably less than the 3000 ft (914 m) pollution containment altitude assumed by the EPA in preparing their emission inventory for the airport. (Figure 1.) After correcting the EPA emission inventory to reflect a real world inversion height, the emission inventory for aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport is estimated to be approximately 50% less. Aircraft thus become a less significant pollution source and consideration should be given to relaxing engine emission control requirements accordingly.

This paper examines current emission control philosophy, which according to the EPA should be based upon the significance of the particular polluting source. The problem of accounting for above ground aircraft emissions is then considered. Daily inversion height data are then used to determine a realistic vertical containment altitude for aircraft emissions. Problems in obtaining good inversion data are described. Finally, aircraft emissions at Los Angeles International Airport are adjusted to reflect real world inversion conditions on those days when the inversion height is low enough to influence significantly air pollution levels. Recommendations are made for additional research leading to possible change to NO_x emission control requirements for aircraft.     

Jet Aircraft Operations: Impact on the Air Environment

This paper is directed to those concerned with the air environment and its degradation by the burden of pollution from jet aircraft operations. A summary is presented of the results of a comprehensive air pollution study of jet aircraft operations at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Included in the data obtained from this study are jet engine exhaust measurements for currently used turboprop, turbojet and turbofan engines; measurements of specific contaminants in the atmosphere inside and outside of passenger terminals and ticketing areas, and in aircraft cabins during ground operations including passenger loading and taxiing prior to takeoff; also presented are ambient air measurements in a two-mile radius of the airport. An evaluation is made of the emissions of contaminants from air transport operations and all related ground activities including motor vehicles, that contribute to the total atmospheric contaminant burden at the airport.     

Experimental investigation of regulated and unregulated emissions from a diesel engine fueled with Euro V diesel fuel and fumigation methanol

Experiments were conducted on a four-cylinder direct-injection diesel engine with part of the engine load taken up by fumigation methanol injected into the air intake of each cylinder to investigate the regulated and unregulated gaseous emissions and particulate emission of the engine under five engine loads at an engine speed of 1920 rev min^?1. The fumigation methanol was injected to top up 10%, 20% and 30% of the engine load under different engine operating conditions.The experimental results show that at low engine loads, the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) decreases with increase in fumigation methanol; but at high engine loads, the BTE is not significantly affected by fumigation methanol. The fumigation methanol results in significant increase in hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) emissions, but decrease in nitrogen oxides (NO_x). For the unregulated gaseous emissions, unburned methanol, formaldehyde and BTX (benzene, toluene and xylene) emissions increase but ethyne, ethene and 1,3-butadiene emissions decrease. Particulate mass and number concentrations also decrease with increase in fumigation methanol. A diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) is found to reduce significantly most of the pollutants, including the air toxics, when the exhaust gas temperature is sufficiently high.     

Emissions profile from new and in-use handheld, 2-stroke engines

The objective of this study was to characterize exhaust emissions from a series of handheld, 2-stroke small engines. A total of 23 new and used engines from model years 1981–2003 were studied; these engines spanned three phases of emission control (pre-control, phase-1, phase-2). Measured emissions included carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), hydrocarbons (HC), fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). Emissions reductions in CO (78%) and HC (52%) were significant between pre-control and phase-2 engines. These reductions can be attributed to improvements in engine design, reduced scavenging losses, and implementation of catalytic exhaust control. Total hydrocarbon emissions were strongly correlated with fuel consumption rates, indicating varying degrees of scavenging losses during the intake/exhaust stroke. The use of a reformulated gasoline containing 10% ethanol resulted in a 15% decrease in HC and a 29% decrease in CO emissions, on average. Increasing oil content of 2-stroke engine fuels results in a substantial increase of PM_2.5 emissions as well as smaller increases in HC and CO emissions. Results from this study enhance existing emission inventories and appear to validate predicted improvements to ambient air quality through implementation of new phase-2 handheld emission standards.     

Dimensionless correlations to predict VOC emissions from dry building materials

Based on the most recently published mass transfer model of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from dry building materials, it is found that the dimensionless emission rate and total emission quantity are functions of just four dimensionless parameters, the ratio of mass transfer Biot number to partition coefficient (Bi_m/K), the mass transfer Fourier number (Fo_m), the dimensionless air exchange rate (Nδ²/D_m) and the ratio of building material volume to chamber or room volume (Aδ/V). Through numerical analysis and data fitting, a group of dimensionless correlations for estimating the emission rate from dry building materials is obtained. The predictions of the correlations are validated against the predictions made by the mass transfer model. Using the correlations, the VOC emission rate from dry building materials can be conveniently calculated without having to solve the complicated mass transfer equations. Thus it is very simple to estimate VOC emissions for a given condition. The predictions of the correlations agree well with experimental data in the literature except in the initial few hours. Furthermore, based on the correlations, a relationship between the emission rates of a material in two different situations is deduced. With this relationship, the results for a given building material in a test chamber can be scaled to those under real conditions, if the dimensionless parameters are within the appropriate region for the correlations. The relationship also explicitly explains the impacts of air velocity, load ratio, and air exchange rate on the VOC emission rate, which determines the feasibility of assuming that the VOC emission rates in real conditions are the same as those in the test chambers.     

Emission factor of exhaust gas constituents during the pyrolysis of zinc chloride immersed biosolid

Pyrolysis enables ZnCl₂ immersed biosolid to be reused, but some hazardous air pollutants are emitted during this process. Physical characteristics of biosolid adsorbents were investigated in this work. In addition, the constituents of pyrolytic exhaust were determined to evaluate the exhaust characteristics. Results indicated that the pyrolytic temperature was higher than 500 °C, the specific surface area was >900 m²/g, and the total pore volume was as much as 0.8 cm³/g at 600 °C. For non-ZnCl₂ immersed biosolid pyrolytic exhaust, VOC emission factors increased from 0.677 to 3.170 mg-VOCs/g-biosolid with the pyrolytic temperature increase from 400 to 700 °C, and chlorinated VOCs and oxygenated VOCs were the dominant fraction of VOC groups. VOC emission factors increased about three to seven times, ranging from 1.813 to 21.448 mg/g for pyrolytic temperatures at 400–700 °C, corresponding to the mass ratio of ZnCl₂ and biosolid ranging from 0.25–2.5.     

Reducing Air Pollutant Emissions at Airports by Controlling Aircraft Ground Operations

Potential reductions in air pollutant emissions were determined for four strategies to control aircraft ground operations at two case study airports, Los Angeles and San Francisco International Airports. Safety, cost, and fuel savings associated with strategy implementation were examined.

Two strategies, aircraft towing and shutdown of one engine during taxi operations, provided significant emission reductions. However, there are a number of safety problems associated with aircraft towing. The shutdown of one engine while taxiing was found to be the most viable strategy because of substantial emission reductions, cost benefits resulting from fuel savings, and no apparent safety problems.     

Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from the

Abstract

Diesel fuels governed by U.S. regulations are based on the index of the total aromatic contents. Three diesel fuels, containing various fractions of light cycle oil (LCO) and various sulfur, total polyaromatic, and total aromatic contents, were used in a heavy-duty diesel engine (HDDE) under transient cycle test to assess the feasibility of using current indices in managing the emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from HDDE. The mean sulfur content in LCO is 20.8 times as much as that of premium diesel fuel (PDF). The mean total polyaromatic content in LCO is 28.7 times as much as that of PDF, and the mean total aromatic content in LCO is 2.53 times as much as that of PDF. The total polyaromatic hydrocarbon emission factors in the exhaust from the diesel engine, as determined using PDF L3.5 (3.5% LCO and 96.5% PDF), L7.5 (7.5% LCO and 92.5% PDF), and L15 (15% LCO and 85% PDF) were 14.3, 25.8, 44, and 101 mg L^?1, respectively. The total benzo(a)pyrene equivalent (BaP_eq) emission factors in the exhaust from PDF, L3.5, L7.5, and L15 were 0.0402, 0.121, 0.219, and 0.548 mg L^?1, respectively. Results indicated that using L3.5 instead of PDF will result in an 80.4% and a 201% increase of emission for total PAHs and total BaP_eq, respectively. The relationships between the total polyaromatic hydrocarbon emission factor and the two emission control indices, including fuel polyaromatic content and fuel aromatic content, suggest that both indices could be used feasibly to regulate total PAH emissions. These results strongly suggest that LCO used in the traveling diesel vehicles significantly influences PAH emissions.     

Identification of brake wear particles and derivation of a quantitative tracer for brake dust at a major road

Traffic-generated air pollutant emissions can be classified into exhaust and non-exhaust emissions. Increased attention is focussing on non-exhaust emissions as exhaust emissions are progressively limited by regulations. To characterise metal-rich emission from abrasion processes, size-segregated analysis of atmospheric aerosol particles sampled with micro-orifice uniform deposit impactors (MOUDI) in March 2007 in London was performed. The samples were collected at a roadside and a background site and were analysed for Al, Ba, Cu, Fe, Sb, Ti, V, Zn, Ca²⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, and NH₄⁺. Most components showed a clear roadside increment, which was evident as a higher mass concentration and a change in the size distribution. In particular, Fe, Cu, Ba, and Sb correlated highly, indicative of a common traffic-related source. Using complementary information on the fleet composition, vehicle number and average speed, the brake wear emission was calculated using the EMEP/CORINAIR emission database. The total PM₁₀ and barium emission of the traffic was determined by ratio to NO_x whose source strength was estimated from published emission factors. Barium was found to comprise 1.1% of brake wear (PM₁₀) particles from the traffic fleet as a whole, allowing its use as a quantitative tracer of brake wear emissions at other traffic-influenced sites.     

VOC composition and ozone-forming potential of the exhaust gas of in-use motorcycles

The emission profile of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and the ozone-forming potential (OP) of the exhaust gas of six in-use motorcycles (four 4-stroke- and two 2-stroke-engines) were determined. The motorcycles were tested on a chassis dynamometer in a real-world driving cycle. The analysis involved the C2–C12-hydrocarbons as well as the aldehydes and ketones. Additionally, the regulated THC and NO_x emissions were measured according to the test procedure for type approval (ECE 40). Two vehicles did not fulfil the THC emission standard, whereas all vehicles met the requirements for NO_x emission. The aromatic fuel components toluene and xylene, and the combustion products ethene and propene contributed most to the OP of the VOC emission. The highest OP was found with the 2-stroke engines. The VOC profile of the emissions varied with vehicle and driving conditions. The reactivity of the exhaust gas, defined as gram ozone per gram of non-methane organic gases (NMOG), increased with vehicle speed.     

Effects of water-emulsified fuel on a diesel engine generator’s thermal efficiency and exhaust

Water-emulsified diesel has proven itself as a technically sufficient improvement fuel to improve diesel engine fuel combustion emissions and engine performance. However, it has seldom been used in light-duty diesel engines. Therefore, this paper focuses on an investigation into the thermal efficiency and pollution emission analysis of a light-duty diesel engine generator fueled with different water content emulsified diesel fuels (WD, including WD-0, WD-5, WD-10, and WD-15). In this study, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide were analyzed by a vehicle emission gas analyzer, and the particle size and number concentration were measured by an electrical low-pressure impactor. In addition, engine loading and fuel consumption were also measured to calculate the thermal efficiency. Measurement results suggested that water-emulsified diesel was useful to improve the thermal efficiency and the exhaust emission of a diesel engine. Obviously, the thermal efficiency was increased about 1.2 to 19.9%. In addition, water-emulsified diesel leads to a significant reduction of nitric oxide emission (less by about 18.3 to 45.4%). However, the particle number concentration emission might be increased if the loading of the generator becomes lower than or equal to 1800 W. In addition, exhaust particle size distributions were shifted toward larger particles at high loading. The consequence of this research proposed that the water-emulsified diesel was useful to improve the engine performance and some of exhaust emissions, especially the NO emission reduction.

Implications:The accumulated test results provide a good basis to resolve the corresponding pollutants emitted from a light-duty diesel engine generator. By measuring and analyzing transforms of exhaust pollutant from this engine generator, the effects of water-emulsified diesel fuel and loading on emission characteristics might be more clear. Understanding reduction of pollutant emissions during the use of water-emulsified diesel helps improve the effectiveness of the testing program. The analyzed consequences provide useful information to the government for setting policies to curb pollutant emissions from a light-duty diesel engine generator more effectively.     

Simulation of the Environmental Impact of an Airport on the Surrounding Air Quality

It is the purpose of this study to demonstrate the procedure involved in simulating those average and maximum pollutant concentrations at or around an airport which fall under the control of the Clean Air Act. The information is useful, when planning new or expanding existing airports, when estimating the impact of airports on the surrounding air quality, and when assessing the effectiveness of control procedures. Simulation of airport air quality requires the accurate assessment of the temporal and spatial emission patterns. This involves the tabulation of air traffic density by type and engine, make and model of aircraft, and engine mode number; the use of fuel by different aircraft; the pollutant emission rates by engine model and operational mode; the allocation of emission rates to the respective runways, turn-off points, taxi-ways, and parking areas, and the time each aircraft spent in the different operational modes. The resulting emission pattern for the Honolulu International Airport reflects scheduled and unscheduled commercial and military jet and piston aircraft and nonaircraft operations. Using this and the appropriate meteorological information average and maximum surface concentrations were calculated and compared with local ambient air quality standards. The calculation of concentrations is based on a newly developed diffusion model incorporating harmonic mean wind speeds for every degree of wind direction as determined by a Parzen maximum likelihood interpolation technique, and the assumption of log-normal concentration distributions. It is shown that for some pollutants the air quality standards are substantially exceeded, and it is concluded that airports may have a considerable adverse impact on their surrounding air quality.     

Improvement of Air Quality in a Small Indoor Ice Arena by Effective Emission Control in Ice Resurfacers

ABSTRACT

The effectiveness of a new emission control system in the ice resurfacer was tested in an exhaust gas emission laboratory, and the improvement of the air quality in a small, enclosed ice arena was demonstrated in a 4.5-month follow-up study. The emission control system consisted of a lambda sensor-controlled fuel supply and a three-way metallic catalyst that were applied to a propane-fueled resurfacer. In the laboratory tests, the engine emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NO ) reduced simultaneously by 91, 90, and 96%, respectively. During the air quality follow-up the median 1-hour average nitrogen dioxide (N0₂) concentration inside the ice arena decreased from 430 ug/m³ (230ppb) to 58 ug/m³ (31 ppb), and that of CO decreased from 4.4 mg/m³ (3.8 ppm) to 1.5 mg/m³ (1.3 ppm). The new emission control system proved to be a feasible, reliable, and effective means to improve the indoor air quality in the ice arena. However, continuous mechanical ventilation was necessary during all business hours in order to achieve and maintain a fully acceptable air quality with this technology.     

Characterization of Particulate Matter and Gaseous Emissions of a C-130H Aircraft

Abstract

The gaseous and nonvolatile particulate matter (PM) emissions of two T56-A-15 turboprop engines of a C-130H aircraft stationed at the 123rd Airlift Wing in the Kentucky Air National Guard were characterized. The emissions campaign supports the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) project WP-1401 to determine emissions factors from military aircraft. The purpose of the project is to develop a comprehensive emissions measurement program using both conventional and advanced techniques to determine emissions factors of pollutants, and to investigate the spatial and temporal evolutions of the exhaust plumes from fixed and rotating wing military aircraft. Standard practices for the measurement of gaseous emissions from aircraft have been well established; however, there is no certified methodology for the measurement of aircraft PM emissions. In this study, several conventional instruments were used to physically characterize and quantify the PM emissions from the two turboprop engines. Emissions samples were extracted from the engine exit plane and transported to the analytical instrumentation via heated lines. Multiple sampling probes were used to assess the spatial variation and obtain a representative average of the engine emissions. Particle concentrations, size distributions, and mass emissions were measured using commercially available aerosol instruments. Engine smoke numbers were determined using established Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) practices, and gaseous species were quantified via a Fourier-transform infrared-based gas analyzer. The engines were tested at five power settings, from idle to take-off power, to cover a wide range of operating conditions. Average corrected particle numbers (PNs) of (6.4–14.3) × 10⁷ particles per cm³ and PN emission indices (EI) from 3.5 × 10¹⁵ to 10.0 × 10¹⁵ particles per kg-fuel were observed. The highest PN EI were observed for the idle power conditions. The mean particle diameter varied between 50 nm at idle to 70 nm at maximum engine power. PM mass EI ranged from 1.6 to 3.5 g/kg-fuel for the conditions tested, which are in agreement with previous T56 engine measurements using other techniques. Additional PM data, smoke numbers, and gaseous emissions will be presented and discussed.     

The influence of air–fuel ratio on engine performance and pollutant emission of an SI engine using ethanol–gasoline-blended fuels

Ethanol–gasoline-blended fuel was tested in a conventional engine under various air–fuel equivalence ratios (λ) for its performance and emissions. The amount of fuel injection was adjusted manually by an open-loop control system using a CONSULT controller. It was found that without changing throttle opening and injection strategy, λ could be extended to a leaner condition as ethanol content increased. The results of engine performance tests showed that torque output would increase slightly at small throttle valve opening when ethanol–gasoline-blended fuel was used. It was also shown that CO and HC emissions were reduced with the increase of ethanol content in the blended fuel, which resulted from oxygen enrichment. At an air–fuel equivalence ratio slightly larger than one, the smallest amounts of CO and HC and the largest amounts of CO₂ resulted. It was noted that under the lean combustion condition, CO₂ emission was controlled by air–fuel equivalence ratio; while under the rich combustion condition, CO₂ emission is offset by CO emission. It was also found that CO₂ emission per unit horse power output for blended fuel was similar or less than that for gasoline fuel. From the experimental data, the optimal ethanol content in the gasoline and air–fuel equivalence ratio in terms of engine performance and air pollution was found.     

Trend of vehicle emission levels until 2020 – Prognosis based on current vehicle measurements and future emission legislation

The paper describes the incorporation of actual emission measurements and future emission standards into the emission model ‘NEMO’ (Network Emission Model). This model is then applied to make predictions on vehicle emission levels on basis of the Austrian fleet composition until 2020. The output is compared to the results based on the most common emission tool for the calculation of vehicle emissions in Central Europe – the recent version (2.1) of the ‘Handbook Emission Factors for Road Transport’. The discussion is focused on NO_x and particulate matter (PM), since these pollutants are considered to be the most critical for the local air quality level.The NO_x emission levels of recent modern diesel vehicle generations observed in several real world driving conditions were observed to be clearly higher than demanded in the type approval procedure. Due to the growing number of modern diesel engine concepts equipped with coated catalytic exhaust after treatment, the fraction of NO₂ of the total tailpipe NO_x emissions is predicted to continue to increase in the next few years. Bearing in mind the upcoming tightening of the NO₂ air quality limits and the steady increase of traffic volumes, excesses of the NO₂ air quality limits at roadside locations have to be expected to an increasing extent for the beginning of the next decade. The issue of particle emissions originated from the diesel engine combustion process can be regarded as being technically solved due to the extensive introduction of diesel particle filters in the vehicle fleet if these systems will prove a high efficiency over the entire vehicle life in real world operation conditions. However, PM emissions from road transport will continue to be in the focus of public attention due to particle emissions caused by dust re-suspension and abrasion processes.     

PCDD/F emissions from heavy duty vehicle diesel engines

The currently available information on PCDD/F emissions from diesel vehicles is briefly surveyed. Considerable uncertainty is identified concerning the emissions from heavy duty diesel trucks which have been measured only twice so far. These measurements led to emission factors differing by a factor of 200; similar discrepancy was also revealed by measurements of ambient air in traffic tunnels. New PCDD/F emission measurement results are presented which have been carried out at the exhaust systems of a stationary engine and of a modern heavy duty vehicle engine at transient operation conditions simulated on a test bench. PCDD/F concentrations in the exhaust gases were found to be in the range of control blank samples. Based on the highest concentration observed in the truck engine exhaust (9.7 pg I-TEQ/dry standard m3) a worst case estimate of the annual PCDD/F emission freight from diesel fuel combustion in the European countries of about 30 g I-TEQ/year is calculated. This emission appears to be irrelevant compared to the overall emission rate of more than 6,000 g I-TEQ/year being inventoried recently. Finally the possibilities to link congener/homologue profiles of diesel emission to profiles found in food or human samples are discussed.