Contribution of liquefied petroleum gas to air pollution in the metropolitan area of Mexico City

An estimation of hydrocarbon emissions caused by the consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City (MAMC) is presented. On the basis of experimental measurements at all points of handling, during the distribution process, and during the consumption of LPG in industrial devices and domestic appliances, an estimated 76,414 tons/year are released to the air. The most important contribution is found during the domestic consumption of LPG (70%); this makes the control initiatives available to the consumer. By developing a control program of LPG losses, a 77% reduction in emission is expected in a 5-yr period. The calculated amounts of LPG emissions when correlated with the consumption of LPG, combined with information from air samples from the MAMC, do not point to LPG emissions as the most important factor contributing to tropospheric ozone in the air in Mexico City.