On-Road Motor Vehicles No Longer Dominate Ozone Formation

Michael PhD Kleeman

Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series from Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis

Abstract: The amount of traffic on California’s roadways decreased by approximately fifty percent during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in March and April of 2020. Conventional wisdom led to the expectation that reduced traffic would result in reduced ozone (O3) concentrations—ozone being a main component of smog—yet ozone concentrations increased during this period. Internal combustion vehicles emit oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These emissions are precursors for ozone formation, but the relationship between these precursor emissions and the final ozone concentration is complex. The ratio of NOx/VOCs determines if the ozone formation will be “NOx-limited” or “NOx-rich”. Major NOx reductions are required to reduce ozone concentrations when the atmosphere is NOx-rich. Small NOx reductions in a NOx-rich atmosphere can actually increase ozone concentrations.

Keywords: Engineering (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-08-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene and nep-tre
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