The paper provides the results of the inventory of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from road transport in Poland over the period 1990–2017. To estimate GHGs’ emission from road transport, a standardized methodology was applied, consistent with 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and EEA/EMEP Emission Inventory Guidebook 2019, as well as the COPERT 5 software. In the analysis, emissions of fossil carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide were taken into account. Emissions of all considered GHGs were converted to equivalent carbon dioxide. Throughout the subsequent years of emission inventory, emissions of all GHGs revealed an increasing trend, except for methane. The main cause underlying this increase is the dynamic development of motorization in Poland. Thus, GHGs’ emissions were analyzed, taking into account the number of road vehicles and the intensity of their use. An increase in the average specific distance emission was found for fossil carbon dioxide (by ca. 5%) and for nitrous oxide (by ca. 10%), while for methane, there was a decrease (by more than 150%). The GHGs’ emissions from road transport in Poland could be significantly lower if more emphasis was placed on the use of fuels from renewable energy sources.

The paper provides the results of the inventory of pollutants hazardous to the health of living organisms, emitted by road transport in Poland between 1990 and 2017. For estimating pollutant emissions from road transport, a standardized methodology was applied, consistent with the guidance of EEA/EMEP Emission Inventory Guidebook 2019 and the COPERT 5 software. The following substances were analyzed: carbon monoxide (CO), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter size fractions (total suspended particles—TSP, PM₁₀, PM_2.5). For the pollutants, emission values averaged over the distance travelled by the road fleet (average specific distance emission) were determined. The results obtained indicated that between 1990 and 2017 the annual pollutant emissions from road vehicles in Poland had an increasing trend concerning TSP (74%), PM₁₀ (64%), PM_2.5 (52%) and NOx (25%), while the corresponding emissions had a decreasing trend for CO (−117%) and NMVOC (−85%). However, a clear downward trend was found for the average specific distance emissions of all substances throughout the subsequent inventory years: TSP (−28%), PM₁₀ (−100%), PM_2.5 (−91%), NOx (−84%), CO (−208%) and NMVOC (−173%), which is due to the dynamic progress in the technological advancement of road vehicles.

Energy consumption and pollutant emission aspects were ascertained for cars under traffic conditions: in cities, outside cities, on motorways and expressways, with the use of data from the inventory of emissions from road transport in Poland in 2018. The values of characteristics of energy consumption under model traffic conditions, as well as pollutant emissions and energy consumption of cars with internal combustion engines and cars with electric motors, constituted the basis for further analyses and conclusions about the characteristics of the vehicles under the study in terms of energy consumption and pollutant emissions. As a result of the research, it was found in the case of the use of electric drives, a very significant decrease in energy consumption—by 70% and the emission of non-methane volatile organic compounds—at the level of 90%. In the case of the emission of nitrogen oxides, there is a great advantage in relation to cars with compression-ignition engines, while the emission of nitrogen oxides from cars with spark-ignition engines is about two times lower. It was found that the emission of particulate matter for electric cars is about three times higher than for cars with compression-ignition engines and almost six times higher than for cars with spark-ignition engines. On the other hand, the impact on carbon dioxide emissions is small—less than 10%.

The article presents the results of studies on the influence of the thermal state of vehicle combustion engines on pollutant emissions. This influence was analyzed based on data from Poland’s inventory of pollutant emissions for the years 1990–2017. The results show that during engine warm-up, carbon monoxide emission constitutes the largest share (up to 50%) in the national annual total emission. Volatile organic compounds are next in the ranking, whereas the share of nitrogen oxides is the lowest (less than 5%). Under the model traffic conditions, close to those in Poland’s cities in winter, simulation tests regarding additional pollutant emissions from passenger cars during engine warm-up were also carried out. As a result of the cold-start emissive behavior of internal combustion engines, emissions of carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds showed a considerably greater impact on national pollutant emission, as compared to carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. This is particularly evident for the results of the inventory of pollutant emissions from road transport.

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki inwentaryzacji emisji zanieczyszczeń w sektorze transportu drogowego w Polsce w latach 2000–2015, opracowane w Krajowym Ośrodku Bilansowania i Zarządzania Emisjami Instytutu Ochrony Środowiska – Państwowego Instytutu Badawczego. Emisję zanieczyszczeń wyznaczono na podstawie modelowania z zastosowaniem oprogramowania COPERT 4, rekomendowanego przez Unię Europejską. Przedstawiono liczność i przebiegi roczne pojazdów kategorii skumulowanych. Parametry charakteryzujące ruch samochodów przyjęto jako udział długości drogi przebywanej przez pojazd w warunkach jazdy: w miastach, poza miastami oraz na autostradach i drogach ekspresowych, a także prędkość średnią pojazdów w tych warunkach. Przedstawiono krajową emisję roczną: tlenku węgla, lotnych związków organicznych, tlenków azotu, cząstek stałych i dwutlenku węgla dla lat bilansowania 2000–2015. Stwierdzono tendencję do znaczącego zmniejszania się krajowej emisji zanieczyszczeń, szczególnie tlenku węgla i lotnych związków organicznych. Jest to wynik postępu technicznego pojazdów samochodowych. Zbadano również średnią emisję drogową i średni wskaźnik emisji zanieczyszczeń dla wszystkich pojazdów samochodowych. Sformułowano na podstawie tych badań wnioski na temat wyraźnej poprawy właściwości ekologicznej pojazdów samochodowych w latach 2000–2015, czego skutkiem jest znaczące zmniejszenie obciążenia środowiska przez transport drogowy.

The aim of this study is to investigate the environmental hazards posed by solid particles resulting from road transport. To achieve this, a methodology used to inventory pollutant emissions was used in accordance with the recommendations of the EMEP/EEA (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme/European Economic Area). This paper classifies particulates derived from road transport with reference to their properties and sources of origin. The legal status of environmental protection against particulate matter is presented. The emissions of particulate matter with different properties from different road transport sources is examined based on the results of Poland’s inventory of pollutant emissions in the year 2018. This study was performed using areas with characteristic traffic conditions: inside and outside cities, as well as on highways and expressways. The effects of vehicles were classified according to Euro emissions standards into the categories relating to the emissions of different particulate matter types. The results obtained showed that technological progress in the automobile sector has largely contributed to a reduction in particulate matter emissions associated with engine exhaust gases, and that this has had slight effect on particulate matter emissions associated with the tribological processes of vehicles. The conclusion formed is that it is advisable to undertake work towards the control and reduction of road transport particulate matter emissions associated with the sources other than engine exhaust gases.