Magnified photograph of particulate emissions from a diesel exhaust after using CV Products.

Emissions reductions results table based on EPA approved lab tests and actual road use of over 5 billion miles.

E.U. Emissions standards for heavy-duty diesel truck & bus engines.

Emission Standards for Diesel and Gas Engines

E.U. Emissions standards for diesel cars & light duty trucks.

EU Emissions standards for petrol passenger cars & light commercial vehicles.

E.U. Emissions standards for off road diesel engines.

Special European Regulations - Sweden

Special European Regulations - Germany

UK air quality today

Pollution control and harmful emission levels are important concerns for companies for many reasons: since the Kyoto summit governments have and will continue to create stricter legislation, public opinion demands reduced waste and cleaner air, and simple combustion chemistry demonstrates that it is advantageous in lowering harmful emissions.

While government plans and public opinion may not directly determine the priorities of a company, combustion efficiency is an important issue which is essential to any company's success.

Improved combustion of fuel results in a reduction of harmful emissions.

If the combustion of a pure hydrocarbon fuel were complete, carbon dioxide and water would be the only reaction products. Other chemical compounds present in the exhaust gas, such as carbon monoxide, particulate carbon, unburned hydrocarbons, and partially oxidized hydrocarbons (aldehydes, ketones, acids, alcohols) are indicators of incomplete combustion. Therefore, a reduction of these emissions indicates a greater efficiency.

Magnified photograph of particulate emissions from a diesel exhaust prior to using UNICAT4.

Magnified photograph of particulate emissions from a diesel exhaust after using UNICAT4.

By using UNICAT4 treated fuel in their equipment, companies have been able to solve their smoke and emissions problems. Long before heightened environmental awareness made emission an important issue, UNICAT4 customers experienced reductions of harmful compounds including the virtual elimination of smoke and the sulphur odour that had previously contaminated enclosed areas like powerhouses, garages, and mines. These companies have shown that UNICAT4 treatment results in a reduction of unburned and partially unburned hydrocarbons by as much as 80%, carbon monoxide by an average of 50%, and visible and particulate smoke significantly. NOx emissions are reduced in some applications by as much as 40%.

E.U. Emissions standards for heavy-duty diesel truck & bus engines.

The European regulations for heavy-duty diesel engines are commonly referred to as Euro I ... V.

The Euro I standards for medium and heavy-duty engines were introduced in 1992.

The Euro II regulations came to power in 1996. These standards applied to both heavy-duty highway diesel engines and urban buses.

The urban bus standards, however were voluntary.

In 1999, the European Parliament and the Council of Environment Ministers adopted the final Euro III standard (Directive 1999/96/EC of December 13, 1999, amending Directive 88/77/EEC) and also adopted Euro IV and V standards for the year 2005/2008. The standards also set specific, stricter values for extra low emission vehicles (also known as "enhanced environmentally friendly vehicles" or EEVs) in view of their contribution to reducing atmospheric pollution in cities. It is expected that the emission limit values set for 2005 and 2008 will require all new diesel-powered heavy duty vehicles to be fitted with exhaust gas aftertreatment devices, such as particulate traps and DeNOx catalysts.

The 2008 NOx standard will be reviewed by December 31, 2002 and either confirmed or modified, depending on the available emission control technology.

The following table contains a summary of the emission standards and their implementation dates.

Table 1. EU Emission Standards for HD Diesel Engines, g/kWh (smoke in m-1)

*for engines of less than 0.75 dm3 swept volume per cylinder and a rated power speed of more than 3000 min-1

Changes in the engine test cycles have been introduced in the Euro III standard (year 2000). The old steady-state engine test cycle ECE R-49 will be replaced by two cycles: a stationary cycle ESC (European Stationary Cycle) and a transient cycle ETC (European Transient Cycle). Smoke opacity is measured on the ELR (European Load Response) test.

For the type approval of new vehicles with diesel engines according to the Euro III standard (year 2000), manufacturers have the choice between either of these tests. For type approval according to the Euro IV (year 2005) limit values and for EEVs, the emissions have to be determined on both the ETC and the ESC/ELR tests.

Emission standards for diesel engines that are tested on the ETC test cycle, as well as for heavy-duty gas engines, are summarized in Table 2.

Table 2 Emission Standards for Diesel and Gas Engines, ETC Test, g/kWh

CH4 - for natural gas engines only

PM -not applicable for gas fuelled engines at the year 2000 & 2005 stages

A new proposal, to be submitted by the European Commission by 31 December 2000, should include:

• rules pertaining to the introduction of an onboard diagnostic system (OBD) for heavy-duty vehicles from October 1, 2005 (similarly as provided for in Directive 98/69/EC on the reduction of exhaust emissions from passenger cars and light commercial vehicles),
• provisions on the durability of emission control devices with effect from October 1, 2005 (to ensure that they operate correctly during the normal life of a vehicle),
• provisions to ensure the conformity of in-service vehicles which are properly maintained and used,
• appropriate limits for pollutants currently non-regulated as a consequence of the widespread introduction of new alternative fuels.

E.U. Emissions standards for diesel cars & light duty trucks.

European emission regulations for new light duty vehicles (cars and light commercial vehicles) were originally specified in the European Directive 70/220/EEC. Amendments to that regulation include the Euro 1/2 standards, covered under Directive 93/59/EC, and the most recent Euro 3/4 limits (2000/2005), covered by Directive 98/69/EC. The 2000/2005 standards were accompanied by an introduction of more stringent fuel quality rules that require minimum diesel cetane number of 51 (year 2000), maximum diesel sulphur content of 350 ppm in 2000 and 50 ppm in 2005, and maximum petrol (gasoline) sulphur content of 150 ppm in 2000 and 50 ppm in 2005.

Emission test cycle for these regulations is the ECE 15 + EUDC procedure. Effective year 2000, that test procedure is modified to eliminate the 40 s engine warm-up period before the beginning of emission sampling. All emission limits are expressed in g/km.

The EU light duty vehicle standards are different for diesel and petrol vehicles. Diesels have lower CO standards but are allowed higher NOx. Gasoline vehicles are exempted from PM standards.

The standards for new diesel cars are summarised in Table 3, light trucks in Table 4. The standards for petrol cars are summarised in table 5, light commercial vehicles in Table 6.

Table 3. EU Emission standards for diesel passenger cars, g/km

Table 4. EU Emission standards for diesel light commercial vehicles, g/km

Table 5. EU Emission standards for petrol passenger cars, g/km

Table 6. EU Emission standards for petrol light commercial vehicles, g/km

Useful vehicle life for the purpose of emission regulations is 80,000 km through the Euro 3 stage, and 100,000 km beginning at the Euro 4 stage (2005).

The 2000/2005 regulations include several additional provisions, such as:

• EU Member States may introduce tax incentives for early introduction of 2005 compliant vehicles.
• Requirement for on-board emission diagnostics systems (OBD) phased-in between 2000 and 2005.
• Requirement for low temperature emission test (7°C) for gasoline vehicles effective 2002.

E.U. Emissions standards for off road diesel engines.

The first European legislation to regulate emissions from off-road mobile equipment was promulgated on February 27, 1998, in Directive 97/68/EC. The regulations for off-road diesels are introduced in two stages: Stage I implemented in 1999 and Stage II implemented from 2001 to 2004, depending on the engine power output.

The equipment covered by the standard includes industrial drilling rigs, compressors, construction wheel loaders, bulldozers, off-road trucks, highway excavators, forklift trucks, road maintenance equipment, snow plows, ground support equipment in airports, aerial lifts and mobile cranes. Agricultural and forestry tractors have the same emission standards but different implementation dates, as specified in Directive 2000/25/EC of May 22, 2000 (Official Journal L173, 12.7.2000).

Engines used in ships, railway locomotives, aircraft, and generating sets are not covered by the standard.

On December 18, 2000, the European Commission proposed amending the off-road Directive 97/68/EC by adding emission standards for small, gasoline fuelled utility engines below 19 kW. The proposal, published in the COM(2000)840 document, is to a large degree aligned with the existing U.S. emission standards for small utility engines.

European Directives must be transferred into national law by all of the Member States. A sell-off period of up to two years is allowed in both above Directives for engines produced prior to the respective implementation dates of the regulation. Since the sell-off period, between zero and two years, is determined by each Member State, the exact regulation timeframe may be different in different countries.

Stage I and Stage II emissions shall not exceed the amount shown in Table 7. The Stage I emissions are engine-out limits and shall be achieved before any exhaust aftertreatment device. Emissions are measured on the ISO 8178 C1 8-mode cycle and expressed in g/kWh.

Table 7. EU Emission Regulations for Off-Road Diesel Engines, g/kWh

Special European Regulations.

Sweden.

Environmental Zones Program (Trucks and Buses)

Emission Regulations The three biggest cities in Sweden - Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmoe - introduced Environmental Zones in the center of each city in order to improve the ambient air quality and also, to a certain degree, reduce noise from heavy duty vehicles. The “Environmental Zones” regulations are not harmonized with the European Union emission standards. They are made possible by a decree dealing with vehicles and the use of vehicles. The decree makes it possible for communities in Sweden to introduce limitations for heavy duty vehicles in environmental sensible areas.

Effective July 1, 1996, all trucks and buses traveling in the restricted zones must meet the requirements of EU-directive 91/542/EEC Level A, known as the Euro 1 emission standard. Diesel engines/vehicles of model year 1992 and newer were manufactured in compliance with this emission standard. Pre-1992 vehicles, depending on their age, can be either exempted from the regulations or banned in the Environmental Zones. Vehicles of a certain age have to be retrofitted with an approved emission control device in order to receive an exemption and to be allowed to travel in Environmental Zones.

A general exemption from the regulation has been granted for vehicles aged eight years or less. All vehicles older than 15 years are banned. Vehicles aged from 9 to 15 years must be retrofitted with an emission control device. The required emission reductions for the retrofit kits are listed in Table 8..

Table 8. Retrofit Equipment Emission Reduction Requirements

* - "Type A" systems of 20% DPM reduction were also allowed at the initial stage of the program.

Starting in 1999, vehicles equipped with Type A systems are not permitted in the Zones.

Special regulations apply for vehicles designed for special purpose and vehicles seldom traveling in the zones. The latest edition of the regulation of June 1998 specifies the detailed requirements after year 2001.

The approved emission control devices are catalytic converters in combination with particulate traps. The systems are effective due to the widespread use of low sulfur diesel fuel in Sweden. Low sulfur diesel fuel of max. 10 ppm S accounts for more than 90% of the total use in all HDVs.

Certification and Enforcement

MTC AB, a subsidiary of the Swedish Motor Vehicle Inspection Company (ASB), is responsible for approving the retrofit kits and also for the approval of each vehicle.

The manufacturer of retrofit equipment submits documents to MTC and applies for an approval of the equipment according to the requirements given by the cities. The application forms supplied by MTC together with test results and the requirements for installation of the equipment on the vehicle are included with the application. The documents are reviewed and a confirmative test of the equipment is carried out at the laboratory of MTC.

The test is carried out using a representative combination of vehicle and after treatment device on a chassis dynamometer. The driving cycle is the Braunschweig City Driving Cycle, representing a typical driving pattern for a bus or a distribution truck traveling in a city area.

When a device is installed on a vehicle, it must be subjected to an individual approval. This task is carried out by one of the I&M stations run by ASB. After acceptance of the installation, a sticker is placed on the windshield. The enforcement of the regulation is the responsibility of the police.

Emission Benefit

An evaluation of the program effectiveness, carried out 1 year after its introduction, showed the following emission reductions from heavy-duty vehicles:

• DPM - 20%
• HC - 10%
• NOx - 8% (mainly due to renewal of the vehicle fleet)
• reduction in total noise level, despite increasing traffic.

Another consequence of the program is an increasing population of CNG and alcohol fueled heavy-duty vehicles in the Zones.

Estimated 3000 vehicles have been retrofitted with emission control systems over the first 3 years of the program duration.

It is expected that more cities and communities in Sweden will follow the footsteps of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmoe and establish Environmental Zones.

This article based on information submitted by Lennart Erlandsson, MTC.

Environmental Zones: Off-Road Engines Program

On July 1, 1996 the three biggest cities in Sweden introduced "Environmental Zones" in the city centers. The main purpose was to prohibit the use of old and highly polluting Heavy Duty Vehicles in the town centers thereby improving the ambient air quality. The program targeted highway truck and bus engines.

Effective January 1, 1999 a similar program is introduced by the cities to reduce emissions from Off-Road Engines. The program is applicable for a variety of applications, ranging from construction machines, wheel tractors, and excavators to lawn movers and hedge cutters.

A significant part of the construction work carried out within city limits is performed under the responsibility of the local municipality. In those cases the contractor has to meet certain environmental requirements to be eligible to bid for a municipal contract. The contractor has to either use only new engines that meet the latest emission requirements, or to retrofit older engines with a certified emission control device. Emission control devices used under the program can be either oxidation catalytic converters or oxidation catalytic converters in combination with particulate filters.

If several contractors are bidding for the same assignment, the contractor with the most modern engines/machines will win, even at a higher cost. To a certain extent, the municipalities are prepared to pay extra money for reducing emissions in the city area.

The following are the base emission requirements:

• Highway Heavy Duty Vehicles, e.g. transport trucks used during the construction work, shall fulfill the requirements of the "Environmental Zones" program.
• Diesel fueled engines used in all remaining "Off-Road" applications shall fulfill at least EU Stage 1 / USA Tier 1 standards for off-road engines.
• Gasoline fueled engines shall fulfill the US Tier 1 or California requirements.

Diesel engines not fulfilling the base requirements (EU/USA Stage 1/Tier 1) must be equipped with a certified catalytic converter. For certain applications, expressed as a list of the most polluting machines, particulate filter must be installed in addition to the catalytic converter.

Diesel engines that fulfill the base requirements must be equipped with after-treatment devices at the time they reach 8 years of age. The maximum allowed age of an engine that is equipped with a catalytic converter is 14 years. The maximum allowed age of an engine that is equipped with a catalytic converter/diesel particulate trap combination is 16 years.

For gasoline fueled engines not fulfilling the base requirements certain age limitations apply in combination with the requirement that the engine must be equipped with a catalytic converter. Hand held machines must be not older than three years. Other engines must be not older than five years.

In addition to the emission requirements, contractors must meet the following conditions:

• By the year 2000, 10% of the fuel used within the contract must be renewable.
• In general, the best available fuel shall be used. Environmentally benign engine lubrication oils are required.
• The content of PAH in the rubber tires must be limited.
• Maintenance and service of the machines must be carried out on a regular basis, according to the manufacturer requirements.
• The noise protection of the machines must be checked and maintained.

Retrofit emission control equipment has to be certified for use under the program. In order to reduce the approval cost, equipment certifications issued under the Environmental Zones program can be transferred for "Off-Road" applications, despite the significant differences in the engine test cycles. Devices to be used under the Environmental Zones program (truck and bus) are tested according to a transient test procedure, while devices for "Off-Road" applications are tested according to steady state test procedures.

The test procedures for approval of devices for "Off-Road" applications are specified by the ISO 8178 standard. Different test cycles apply for different engine categories, in accordance with the standard.

Table 9. Retrofit Equipment Emission Reduction Requirements

For all applications, regardless of the engine used, no increase in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and noise is accepted.

MTC, which certifies equipment for the Environmental Zones, is also responsible for approving the "Off-Road" retrofit devices. The manufacturer of the devices, however, must arrange for a proper installation on the different machines. He is also responsible for the warranty.

The manufacturer of the equipment submits documents to MTC and applies for an approval of the equipment according to the requirements issued by the cities. The application includes (1) forms supplied by MTC, (2) test results, and (3) requirements for installation of the equipment on the engine/machine. The documents are reviewed and, in most cases, a confirmative test of the equipment is carried out at the MTC laboratory.

At the moment the list of certified devices includes 13 catalytic converters in the power range 5 - 560 kW and 15 combinations of converters and filters in the power range 10 - 330 kW from 4 different suppliers. MTC is expecting more devices to be approved in the near future.

Germany.

Occupational health and safety (OHS) standards in Germany are based on the federal "Chemicals Act" (gesetzliche Grundlage "Chemikaliengesetz") and on a federal government rule, which addresses various issues related to dangerous substances ("Gefahrstoffverordnung").

Exposure limits in the workplace are usually proposed by a special scientific board of DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft). Next, the proposed limits are discussed with all stakeholders within the MAK-Kommission. The final limits are established by the German Ministry of Labor (Bundesministerium für Arbeit - BMA) through TRGS regulations (technische Regeln für Gefahrstoffe). The TRGS documents are published in the "Bundesarbeitsblatt".

The occupational health and safety standards are enforced by occupational insurance organizations called Berufsgenossenschaften. There are 35 Berufsgenossenschaften for different areas in the industry (e.g. Tiefbauberufsgenossenschaft - TBG responsible for construction). These insurance organizations perform various functions, such as air quality measurements at the site, to ensure compliance with the regulations.

All Berufsgenossenschaften have a common institution BIA (Berufsgenossenschaftliches Institut für Arbeitssicherheit) which performs many functions, including regular publication of all OHS limits and rules.

The above organization extends to all occupational health environments with the exception of coal mining. Until the year 2002 the OHS matters in the coal mining are the responsibility of state (Land) mining authorities called Oberbergbehörde.

There are two types of exposure limits:

• MAK (Maximale Arbeitsplatzkonzentration) is the maximum concentration of a substance in the ambient air in the workplace which has no adverse effect on the workers' health.
• TRK (Technische Richtkonzentration) is the concentration of a substance in the ambient air in the workplace that can be achieved using technically available measures.

Once established, both types of limits are legally binding and have to be observed in the workplace.

Table 10. MAK exposure limits for diesel exhaust pollutants Substance ppmv mg/m3

(Technische Regeln für Gefahrstoffe TRGS 900).

* - All values in the table have to be met as work-shift time weighted averages. The following short term exposure categories apply: 1 - ceiling value, not to be exceeded at any point in time; 4 - ceiling value = 4 x the limit value

a - TRK limit

The diesel particulate emissions (DME - Dieselmotorenemissionen) are defined as elemental carbon (EC) and are limited in size to about 5µm (EN 481). This definition is different, and more precise, than the dilution tunnel particulate matter determination, which is used for the tailpipe engine emission measurement. Contrary to the CVS dilution tunnel sampling, the German occupational health definition excludes such artifacts as water, sulfuric acid, or hydrocarbons. These substances produce condensates under the artificial conditions in the dilution tunnel. German authorities concluded that the condensates should not be included in the measured particulate mass, due to the different health impact of condensates and insoluble carbon particles. The gaseous pollutants are regulated separately and measured in the gas phase.

Diesel particulates are classified as "probably carcinogenic for humans". This classification requires that the "best available technology" (BAT) is used for emission reduction.

Specific rules pertaining to the use of diesel engines in occupational health environments were first introduced on 04/30/1993 (TRGS 554). These regulations introduced a general TRK exposure limit for diesel particulates of 0.2 mg/m3 and a limit of 0.6 mg/m3 for underground non-coal mines and tunneling. The particulates were defined as total carbon (EC + OC) and determined by a coulometric analysis.

The regulation was modified in 1996. The TRK limits for diesel particulates in the workplace and in mining/tunneling were lowered to 0.1 and 0.3 mg/m3, respectively (compare Table 1). The definition of diesel particulates was changed to elemental carbon (EC). The measurement involves a two stage thermal analysis with coulometric identification (Method 2 according to ZH 1/120.44 /Oct. 1990 (BIA) and VDI standard 2465).

Coal mines are exempted from the above limits due to the difficulties in differentiating between diesel particulates and coal dust.

The TRGS 554 sets several additional requirements that have to be observed whenever diesel engines are operated in buildings, underground, or other enclosed areas. These additional provisions have to be also observed in coal mines.

The following are some of the requirements:

• Diesel engines that are entirely or partially operated in enclosed spaces or underground must be equipped with particulate traps, provided such traps are technically feasible.
• The particulate traps must achieve at least 70% total gravimetric filtration rate, as measured on the UBA (Umwelt Bundesamt) engine test cycle.
• Diesel engines must undergo periodic measurements of smoke number and CO level.

It should be emphasized that the diesel traps are required in addition to the TRK exposure limit. The filtration efficiency of most traps that are used is better than the required 70%. As a result, according to the measurements of TBG, the average particulate exposure in tunnel sites is now well below 0.1 mg/m3, a much lower value than the TRK of 0.3 mg/m3.

The DFG/MAK-Kommission in its recent paper "Ultrafeine Teilchen, deren Agglomerate und Aggregate" (MAK, 27.Lieferung 1998) has addressed the importance of fine particles for human health.

The following issues have been raised:

• Ultrafine, insoluble particles are characterized by high mobility and are likely to present much higher health risk than the bigger particles.
• The paper defines a particle class of 5-10 to 200 nm aerodynamic diameter, and calls for measurement of number concentrations (up to 100 000 000 particles/cm3).
• The number concentration, and not the mass concentration, is believed to affect human health. Surface concentration may be also important.

It is expected that future regulations will include limits for the number concentrations of diesel particulates, in addition, or in place, of the mass concentrations that are used today.