Enhanced emission of intermediate-volatility/semi-volatile organic matter in gas and particle phases from ship exhausts with low-sulfur fuels

<p>The widespread utilization of low-sulfur fuels in compliance with global sulfur limit regulations has significantly mitigated the emissions of sulfur dioxide (<span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>2</sub></span>) and particulate matter (PM) on ships. However,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: B. Xiao, F. Zhang, Z. Liu, Y. Zhang, R. Li, C. Wu, X. Wan, Y. Wang, Y. Chen, Y. Han, M. Cui, L. Zhang, G. Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2025-07-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/7053/2025/acp-25-7053-2025.pdf
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Summary:<p>The widespread utilization of low-sulfur fuels in compliance with global sulfur limit regulations has significantly mitigated the emissions of sulfur dioxide (<span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>2</sub></span>) and particulate matter (PM) on ships. However, significant uncertainties still persist regarding the impact on intermediate-volatility/semi-volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs). Therefore, onboard tests of I/SVOCs from three ocean-going vessels (OGVs) and four inland cargo ships (ICSs) with low-sulfur fuels (<span class="inline-formula">&lt;0.50</span> % <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><mi>m</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="27pt" height="14pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="5111be734926cf52f0c04473e16ef7f6"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-7053-2025-ie00001.svg" width="27pt" height="14pt" src="acp-25-7053-2025-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span>) in China were carried out in this study. Results showed that the emission factors of total I/SVOCs were 881 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 487, 1181 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 421, and 1834 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 667 mg per kg fuel for OGVs with heavy fuel oil (HFO), marine gas oil (MGO), and ICSs with no. 0 diesel, respectively. The transition from low-sulfur-content (<span class="inline-formula">&lt;0.50</span> % <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M8" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><mi>m</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="27pt" height="14pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="126940aebd73f38dc31f9400eec6a502"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-7053-2025-ie00002.svg" width="27pt" height="14pt" src="acp-25-7053-2025-ie00002.png"/></svg:svg></span></span>) to ultra-low-sulfur-content (<span class="inline-formula">&lt;0.10</span> % <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M10" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><mi>m</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="27pt" height="14pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="487b8d2e8a4446a0ea876151c10913fc"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-7053-2025-ie00003.svg" width="27pt" height="14pt" src="acp-25-7053-2025-ie00003.png"/></svg:svg></span></span>) fuels had evidently enhanced the emission factor of I/SVOCs, with unignorable contributions from particle-phase I/SVOCs, thereby further amplifying the secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAFP). Fuel type, engine type, and operating conditions comprehensively influenced the emission factor level, compositions, and volatility distribution of I/SVOCs. Notably, a substantial proportion of fatty acids had been identified in ship exhausts, necessitating heightened attention. Furthermore, organic diagnostic markers of hopanes, in conjunction with the <span class="inline-formula">C<sub>18:0</sub></span>-to-<span class="inline-formula">C<sub>14:0</sub></span> acid ratio, could be considered potential markers for HFO exhausts. The findings suggest that there is a need to optimize the implementation of a global policy on ultra-low-sulfur oil in the near future.</p>
ISSN:1680-7316
1680-7324