The need to regulate the non-exhaust particulate matter (PM) emissions from vehicles has been discussed worldwide due to the bad environmental impact and the toxicity to the human body. In-depth studies have been precisely conducted on the analysis of the non-exhaust particulate matters, in particular, the amount of tire, brake and road wear particles and their proportion in the atmosphere. In this study, the influence of tire and road wear particles (TRWP) on PM in the atmosphere was investigated with tire and PM samples. The PM samples suspended in the atmosphere were collected with a high-volume sampler equipped with a quartz filter. Additionally, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metal components in tire rubber were analyzed as markers by pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (pyrolysis–GC/MS), GC/MS, and inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). More vinylcyclohexene was detected than dipentene in the markers measured in the samples of tires equipped with vehicles driving on the road, while more dipentene was measured in total suspended particles (TSP) samples. Among the PAHs in tire samples, pyrene exhibited the highest concentration. Benzo(b)fluoranthene showed the highest concentration in the TSP samples. Among the metals, the highest concentration was zinc in all tire samples and calcium in TSP samples.

Use of diesel locomotives in transport is gradually decreasing due to electrification and the introduction of high-speed electric rail. However, in Korea, up to 30% of the transportation of passengers and cargo still uses diesel locomotives and diesel vehicles. Many studies have shown that exhaust gas from diesel locomotives poses a threat to human health. This study examined the characteristics of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbons in diesel locomotive engine exhaust. Emission concentrations were evaluated and compared with the existing regulations. In the case of PM and NOx, emission concentrations increased as engine output increased. High concentrations of CO were detected at engine start and acceleration, while hydrocarbons showed weakly increased concentrations regardless of engine power. Based on fuel consumption and engine power, the emission patterns of PM and gaseous substances observed in this study were slightly higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier standard and the Korean emission standard. Continuous monitoring and management of emissions from diesel locomotives are required to comply with emission standards. The findings of this study revealed that emission factors varied based on fuel consumption, engine power, and actual driving patterns. For the first time, a portable emission measurement system (PEMS), normally used to measure exhaust gas from diesel vehicles, was used to measure exhaust gas from diesel locomotives, and the data acquired were compared with previous results. This study is meaningful as the first example of measuring the exhaust gas concentration by connecting a PEMS to a diesel locomotive, and in the future, a study to measure driving characteristics and exhaust gas using a PEMS should be conducted.

The use of diesel locomotives in transport is gradually decreasing due to electrification and the introduction of high-speed electric rails. However, in Korea, up to 30% of passenger and cargo transport still relies on diesel locomotives and vehicles. Many studies have shown that the exhaust gas from diesel locomotives poses a threat to human health. This study examined the characteristics of particulate matter (PM) in diesel locomotive engine exhaust. In a previous study, PM emissions were found to increase as the throttle was moved to a higher notch. The use of a portable emission measurement system (PEMS) in this study did not detect the highest emissions at notch 5, as is commonly found in gravimetric analyses. When comparing the mass concentrations, the notch 1 and 5 results were similar. However, at notch 8, there was a large difference between the mass concentrations collected on the filters. Further, to reduce the fine PM emitted from diesel locomotives, the ionic components, which account for the largest proportion of the total materials in fine PM, should be clearly identified. Therefore, in this study, an analysis of the weight, ionic composition, and metal components of fine PM discharged from a diesel locomotive was performed. Based on the results, Na⁺ (31%), Ca²⁺ (27%), NO₃⁻ (24%), and SO₄²⁻ (13%), were the main ionic components, and the most abundant metal components being Ca (45%) and S (20%). In this study, the chemical components generated in diesel engines of other sources were compared, and as a result, different results were shown depending on the engine load and material ingredients. For the first time, a PEMS was used to measure PM from diesel vehicles, and a comparison was made with the results obtained by a gravimetric method. This is the first report of measuring PM concentrations by connecting a PEMS to a diesel locomotive, and of the distribution and characteristics of ions and heavy metals contained in the particles collected in the filter analyzed. The results indicate the importance of identifying the characteristics of fine PM emitted from a diesel locomotive and establishing an effective reduction measurement.

The need to regulate the non-exhaust particulate emissions from vehicles has been discussed worldwide due to the toxicity to the human body as well as the atmosphere. In-depth studies have been conducted on precise analysis of the non-exhaust particulates, in particular, accurate measurement of tire-brake-road wear particles, and their proportion in the atmosphere. In this study, the influence of tire and road wear particles (TRWP) on particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere was investigated through tire and PM samples. PM samples were collected from the atmosphere using a high-volume sampler equipped with a quartz filter. Additionally, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals in tire rubber were analyzed as markers by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), GC/MS, and inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). More vinylcyclohexene was detected than dipentene in the markers measured in the samples of tires equipped with vehicles driving on the road with the high-volume sampler installed, while more dipentene was detected in total suspended particles (TSP) samples. Among the PAHs measured in tire samples, pyrene exhibited the highest concentration. In TSP samples, benzo(b)fluoranthene showed the highest concentration. Among the heavy metals, zinc exhibited the highest concentration in all tire samples and calcium in TSP samples.

Extensive research about non-exhaust fine particles from tires and brakes in vehicles has been reported, focusing on the significant effects on air pollution and human harm. Significant investigations are still needed in determining the cause of influence on the environment and human health. The regulations on emissions have been discussed in earnest, starting with the introduction of brake wear particle emission standards in Euro 7. Various indoor and outdoor experiments have been conducted, such as analysis of the amount of wear on tires and brakes, and analysis of the physical and chemical properties of fine particles, and the effect of non-exhaust fine wear particles on the atmosphere and human health, as fundamental data for the introduction of emission standards and the development of low-wear tires and brakes to meet regulations. Recently, international standardized indoor experimental methods for brakes have been announced, and indoor and outdoor experimental methods for tires have been continuously studied to develop international standardized methods. In particular, tire and road wear particles, including brake wear particles, are usually mixed with each other in the non-exhaust particles from a vehicle driving on real roads, and in-depth research is being performed on their accurate classification and characteristic analysis. In this study, the characteristics of the volatile organic compounds and marker substances for tire and tire and road wear particles were analyzed. A system was installed on the vehicle to collect non-exhaust wear fine particles from the vehicle running on two different roads, urban and suburban, of the Seoul area, and the proving ground road. The specific findings are as follows: (1) From the chemical analysis of the volatile organic compounds, high n-hexane and n-dodecane were measured in the tire–road-wear particles. (2) The volatile organic compound species in the PM2.5 (aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm) increased as the vehicle velocity increased. (3) For the PM10 (aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 µm), high volatile organic compound species were recorded at 40 km/h of the vehicle velocity. (4) This study also revealed that higher vinylcyclohexene and dipentene were measured in the particle size below 10 μm than those in PM2.5.

Non-exhaust fine particles such as tires and brakes emitted from vehicles have a significant impact on air pollution and human harm, and regulations on emissions are being discussed in earnest, starting with the introduction of brake wear particles emission standards in Euro 7. Various indoor and outdoor experiments were conducted, such as analysis of the amount of wear on tires and brakes, and analysis of the physical and chemical properties of fine particles, as fundamental data for the introduction of emission standards and the development of low wear tires and brakes to meet regulations. Recently, international standardized indoor experimental methods for brakes have been announced, and indoor and outdoor experimental methods for tires have been continuously studied to develop international standardized methods. In particular, tire-break-road wear particles are usually mixed with each other in the non-exhaust particles from a vehicle driving on real roads, and in-depth research is being performed on the accurate classification and characteristic analysis. In this study, the characteristics of the volatile organic components (VOCs) and marker substances for tire and tire-road wear fine particles were analyzed. A system capable of measuring non-exhaust wear fine particles was installed on the vehicle, and samples were collected from the vehicle running on the two different driving conditions, various constant speeds in the proving ground road and real driving roads. The VOCs contained in tires and tire-road-wear particles (TRWPs) under the specific temperature conditions with a thermogravimetric analyzergas chromatography/mass analysis (TGA-GC/MS). In addition, the correlations between VOCs and tire rubber components were analyzed through marker analysis using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass analysis (GC/MS). In VOCs, n-Hexane, n-Dodecane, and 1-Butene were measured relatively much in both constant-speed and real-drive tests. In addition, marker substances of synthetic rubber and natural rubber were not detected in the collected background fine particles.