Exhaust emissions of regulated and unregulated pollutants of passenger cars

Exhaust emissions of VOC speciation, aldehydes and other carbonyl compounds, polyaromatics and regulated pollutants are measured using a vehicle bench on a sample of passenger cars. 30 diesel and gasoline cars are tested, complying with ECE 1504 to Euro 3 emission standards, according to 10 real-world driving cycles based on European driving behaviour, with some of them adapted to vehicle size. The emission results of this large-scale measurement campaign show the influence of vehicle technology and driving behaviour on the emission of 100 individual pollutants. In addition, the results are discussed per VOC group and compared with other studies. The influence of the successive emission standards on the emission factors is very positive in most of cases. However, whereas hot CO2 is almost stable, diesel hot NOx, diesel hot and cold VOC, and the 6 most carcinogenic gasoline PAH have increased with standards. Diesel vehicles are less pollutant for CO, HC, CO2, VOC, but more pollutant for NOx and PAH. The distribution of VOC species per molecular family highlights the fact that monoaromatics make up the biggest share (~88 and 62 % resp. for gasoline and diesel vehicles). The second family is the alkanes which contribute resp. 8 and 9% of the total mass of measured VOC. The majority of volatile PAH is observed in the gaseous phase, but the least volatile and the carcinogenic PAH are adsorbed more in particulate phase

The deep-sea macrobenthos on the continental slope of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea: a quantitative approach

As part of the ECOMARGE operation (J.G.O.F.S. France), macrobenthic assemblages in the Toulon Canyon were described and quantified on the basis of sampling carried out between 250 and 2000 m depth on the Mediterranean continental slope. Results show that Mediterranean bathyal assemblages are made up mainly of continental shelf eurybathic species. The qualitative and quantitative composition of populations varies with depth on the slope and also varies with station position at equivalent depth, whether on the flanks or in the canyon channel. Various analyses have provided evidence on the factors responsible for this population distribution pattern. No single factor emerges as predominant, but rather a group of factors, which are related to the nature and origin of sediments and more particularly their grain size distribution, geochemical composition and mode of transportation and sedimentation (benthic nepheloid or originating from the water column), act in conjunction to determine the pattern. Comparison with ocean continental slopes shows that in the Mediterranean Sea the absence of tidal current modifies the trophic structure of the macrobenthic assemblages, which are characterized by a dominance of surface and subsurface deposit feeders as compared to a dominance of suspension feeders and carnivores in the upper and median part of the slope in the ocean. Surface dumping of dredge spoil at the canyon head and channelling of waste induces an increase of organic matter and pollutant concentrations in sediment from the upper part of the canyon channel but does not give rise to any marked population degradation

In-situ estimation of non-regulated pollutant emission factors in an urban area of Nantes, France, with fleet composition characterization

The purpose of this study is to estimate the in-situ emission factors of several pollutants (particle number [PN], black carbon [BC] and several volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds [VOCs and SVOCs]) in an urban area of Nantes, France, with real-world traffic conditions and characterization of the fleet composition. The fleet composition and driving conditions are characterized by the number of vehicles, their speeds and their types (passenger cars [PCs], light commercial vehicles [LCVs], heavy-duty vehicles [HDVs]) as well as their characteristics (make, model, fuel, engine, EURO emission standard, etc.). The number of vehicles passing on the boulevard is around 20,000 per day with about 44% of Euro 5 and Euro 6 vehicles. The impacts of fleet composition on emission were analyzed by ANOVA. The results show that the fleet composition has a significant impact on emissions for different pollutants. Higher percentage of gasoline PCs between Euro 4 to Euro 6 and Euro 4 diesel PCs induces more BC emission. Higher percentage of old gasoline and diesel vehicles (? Euro 3) induces higher emission of toluene, ethylbenzene and m+p- and o-xylene. Furthermore, emission factors estimated in this work were compared to those calculated in other in-situ studies that show a good agreement. For the chassis bench comparison, the in-situ PN and BC emission factors are in the same range as those measured for diesel vehicles without particle filter and gasoline vehicles with direct injection system. These EFs are also comparable with old heavy duty vehicles without particle filter (5x1013-2x1014 #/km)

Computer integrated NDE

Early investigations of Sulzer-Innotec in 1990 showed that, compared to other NDT methods such as radiography and thermography, ultrasonic inspection is very effective for the detection of internal flaws in engineered materials such as fiber-reinforced composite materials. In the inspection of such parts by ultrasonic immersion scanning, preparation and set-up time can be a problem especially for complex parts. This presentation describes a cooperative project between Sulzer-Innotec and Tektrend to design and implement a PC-controlled and CAD-supported ultrasonic scanning and data acquisition system. The system also includes artificial intelligence for automated data interpretation and extensive imaging capabilities. The system is described and applications demonstrating the capabilities are presented

Emission factor modelling and database for light vehicles - Artemis deliverable 3

In the frame of the Artemis project, the emission models for atmospheric pollutants have been updated and strongly improved for the road light vehicles. This development is based on a wide and specific measurement campaign, with more than 150 vehicles and about 3500 tests for a large number of pollutants, regulated and non regulated ones. The results of these measurements carried out by several European laboratories are included in a database especially designed, the Artemis LVEM database, available and open to future European measurements data. The Artemis model for light vehicles contains a set of complementary sub-models. The base model calculates the hot emissions for each vehicle category according to the driving behaviour. It contains 5 alternative models: The main model considers traffic situations (discrete model), with emission factors for each of them; A simplified model, built on the same data, takes into account the driving behaviour through the average speed (continuous model); A continuous model, socalled kinematic, considers a limited number of aggregated kinematic parameters; 2 instantaneous models consider some instantaneous parameters as instantaneous speed. These models need input kinematic data of variable complexity and are therefore adapted to different usages, for assessing national emissions, as far as for calculating the impact of a local traffic control. They are associated to models taking into account the influence of several parameters, as cold start, using of auxiliaries like air conditioning, vehicle mileage, ambient air temperature and humidity, road slope and vehicle load, as far as evaporation. The building methods of all these models and the data or models they are based on are presented, as far as the models themselves

Emission factor modelling for light vehicles within the European Artemis model

International audienceThe emission models for atmospheric pollutants have been updated and strongly improved for the road light vehicles. This development is based on a wide and specific measurement campaign, with more than 150 vehicles and about 3500 tests for a large number of pollutants. The results of these measurements are included in a database especially designed, available and open to future European measurements data. The Artemis model for light vehicles contains a set of complementary sub-models. The base model calculates the hot emissions for each vehicle category according to the driving behaviour. It contains 5 alternative models: The main model considers traffic situations (discrete model), with emission factors for each of them; A simplified model, built on the same data, takes into account the driving behaviour through the average speed (continuous model); A continuous model, so-called kinematic, considers a limited number of aggregated kinematic parameters; 2 instantaneous models consider some instantaneous parameters as instantaneous speed. These models are associated to models taking into account the influence of several parameters, as cold start, using of auxiliaries like air conditioning, vehicle mileage, ambient air temperature and humidity, road slope and vehicle load

Emission factor modelling and database for light vehicles - Artemis deliverable 3

In the frame of the Artemis project, the emission models for atmospheric pollutants have been updated and strongly improved for the road light vehicles. This development is based on a wide and specific measurement campaign, with more than 150 vehicles and about 3500 tests for a large number of pollutants, regulated and non regulated ones. The results of these measurements carried out by several European laboratories are included in a database especially designed, the Artemis LVEM database, available and open to future European measurements data. The Artemis model for light vehicles contains a set of complementary sub-models. The base model calculates the hot emissions for each vehicle category according to the driving behaviour. It contains 5 alternative models: The main model considers traffic situations (discrete model), with emission factors for each of them; A simplified model, built on the same data, takes into account the driving behaviour through the average speed (continuous model); A continuous model, socalled kinematic, considers a limited number of aggregated kinematic parameters; 2 instantaneous models consider some instantaneous parameters as instantaneous speed. These models need input kinematic data of variable complexity and are therefore adapted to different usages, for assessing national emissions, as far as for calculating the impact of a local traffic control. They are associated to models taking into account the influence of several parameters, as cold start, using of auxiliaries like air conditioning, vehicle mileage, ambient air temperature and humidity, road slope and vehicle load, as far as evaporation. The building methods of all these models and the data or models they are based on are presented, as far as the models themselves

Emission factor modelling for light vehicles within the European Artemis model

International audienceThe emission models for atmospheric pollutants have been updated and strongly improved for the road light vehicles. This development is based on a wide and specific measurement campaign, with more than 150 vehicles and about 3500 tests for a large number of pollutants. The results of these measurements are included in a database especially designed, available and open to future European measurements data. The Artemis model for light vehicles contains a set of complementary sub-models. The base model calculates the hot emissions for each vehicle category according to the driving behaviour. It contains 5 alternative models: The main model considers traffic situations (discrete model), with emission factors for each of them; A simplified model, built on the same data, takes into account the driving behaviour through the average speed (continuous model); A continuous model, so-called kinematic, considers a limited number of aggregated kinematic parameters; 2 instantaneous models consider some instantaneous parameters as instantaneous speed. These models are associated to models taking into account the influence of several parameters, as cold start, using of auxiliaries like air conditioning, vehicle mileage, ambient air temperature and humidity, road slope and vehicle load

Clostridium perfringens Epsilon Toxin Targets Granule Cells in the Mouse Cerebellum and Stimulates Glutamate Release

Epsilon toxin (ET) produced by C. perfringens types B and D is a highly potent pore-forming toxin. ET-intoxicated animals express severe neurological disorders that are thought to result from the formation of vasogenic brain edemas and indirect neuronal excitotoxicity. The cerebellum is a predilection site for ET damage. ET has been proposed to bind to glial cells such as astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. However, the possibility that ET binds and attacks the neurons remains an open question. Using specific anti-ET mouse polyclonal antibodies and mouse brain slices preincubated with ET, we found that several brain structures were labeled, the cerebellum being a prominent one. In cerebellar slices, we analyzed the co-staining of ET with specific cell markers, and found that ET binds to the cell body of granule cells, oligodendrocytes, but not astrocytes or nerve endings. Identification of granule cells as neuronal ET targets was confirmed by the observation that ET induced intracellular Ca2+ rises and glutamate release in primary cultures of granule cells. In cultured cerebellar slices, whole cell patch-clamp recordings of synaptic currents in Purkinje cells revealed that ET greatly stimulates both spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory activities. However, pharmacological dissection of these effects indicated that they were only a result of an increased granule cell firing activity and did not involve a direct action of the toxin on glutamatergic nerve terminals or inhibitory interneurons. Patch-clamp recordings of granule cell somata showed that ET causes a decrease in neuronal membrane resistance associated with pore-opening and depolarization of the neuronal membrane, which subsequently lead to the firing of the neuronal network and stimulation of glutamate release. This work demonstrates that a subset of neurons can be directly targeted by ET, suggesting that part of ET-induced neuronal damage observed in neuronal tissue is due to a direct effect of ET on neurons

High Prevalence of Giardia duodenalis Assemblage B Infection and Association with Underweight in Rwandan Children

Giardia duodenalis is a protozoan parasite causing gastroenteritis. Although the parasite occurs worldwide, its regional prevalence varies considerably. Using PCR as a highly sensitive molecular diagnostic tool, we detected G. duodenalis in 60% of 583 children younger than five years in southern Rwanda. It was by far the most frequent intestinal parasite detected in this population. Importantly, two out of three infections would have been undetected if only the commonly used light microscopy had been applied. Genotyping revealed the presence of two distinct types of parasites, and only the infrequent subtype showed a weak association with gastrointestinal symptoms. However, G. duodenalis infection was associated with underweight and clinically assessed severe malnutrition. The data call for the establishment of more sensitive than light microscopy, yet simple diagnostic tools to identify infected children as well as for the consideration of abundant submicroscopic infections in evaluating the significance of G. duodenalis in high endemicity areas