Evaluation of 1047-nm photoacoustic instruments and photoelectric aerosol sensors in source-sampling of black carbon aerosol and particle-bound PAHs from gasoline and diesel powered vehicles

Abstract

A series of measurements have been performed at Hill Air Force Base to evaluate real-time instruments for measurements of black carbon aerosol and particle-bound PAHs emitted from spark and ignition compression vehicles. Vehicles were operated at idle or fast idle in one set of measurements and were placed under load on a dynamometer during the second series. Photoacoustic instruments were developed that operated at a wavelength of 1047 nm where gaseous interference is negligible, although sensitivity to black carbon is good. Compact, efficient, solid-state lasers with direct electronic modulation capabilities are used in these instruments. Black carbon measurements are compared with samples collected on quartz fiber filters that were evaluated using the thermal optical reflectance method. A measure of total particle-bound PAH was provided by photoelectric aerosol sensors (PAS) and is evaluated against a sum of PAH mass concentrations obtained with a filter-denuder combination. The PAS had to be operated with a dilution system held at approximately 150 degrees C for most of the source sampling to prevent spurious behavior, thus perhaps compromising detection of lighter PAHs. PA and PAS measurements were found to have a high degree of correlation, perhaps suggesting that the PAS can respond to the polycyclic nature of the black carbon aerosol. The PAS to PA ratio for ambient air in Fresno, CA is 3.7 times as large in winter than in summer months, suggesting that the PAS clearly does respond to compounds other than BC when the instrument is used without the heated inlet.