Evolution of national annual pollutant emission from motor vehicles in Poland

BEBKIEWICZ, Katarzyna; CHŁOPEK, Zdzisław; SZCZEPAŃSKI, Krystian; ZIMAKOWSKA-LASKOWSKA, Magdalena · 2017 · Crossref

DOI: 10.19206/ce-2017-416

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This study analyzes the evolution of national annual pollutant emissions from passenger cars in Poland between 2000 and 2015. The research was motivated by the need to assess how changes in vehicle properties, fleet composition, and usage intensity impact emission levels, particularly distinguishing between spark ignition (SI) and compression ignition (CI) engines. The authors utilized the COPERT 4 software methodology to quantify emissions, incorporating data on fuel characteristics, climatic conditions, and vehicle traffic models. The analysis covered three distinct traffic conditions: urban, rural, and highway/expressway driving. Vehicle fleet data, including the number of cars and annual mileage, were sourced from the Central Register of Vehicles and Drivers (CEPiK). A specialized model based on functional similarity was employed to determine annual mileage per elementary ecological category, allowing for a detailed breakdown of emission sources. The results reveal substantial changes in national annual emissions driven by shifts in vehicle technology and fleet demographics. While the total number of vehicles and their usage intensity increased over the period, national annual emissions for most regulated pollutants—specifically carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOC), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), and methane (CH4)—showed a clear declining trend. This reduction was most pronounced for SI engines, which are the primary source of CO and VOC emissions. Conversely, emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) exhibited different patterns due to the growing prevalence of CI engines. NOx emissions from CI engines increased, while PM emissions from CI exhaust systems remained significantly higher than those from SI engines. Despite these specific increases, the overall national annual emission for all pollutants declined from 2008 onwards. The study highlights a critical distinction between total national emissions and per-vehicle emissions. Figure 17 demonstrates that the relative annual emission from a single representative passenger car decreased for all substances from 2008 onwards, and for most pollutants since 2005. This trend persisted despite the rapid growth in the vehicle fleet and usage intensity. The authors conclude that this reduction is a direct result of technical progress in the construction of new passenger cars, which improved emission control technologies. However, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions continued to rise, correlating with increased fuel consumption driven by higher vehicle numbers and usage intensity. The findings underscore that while technological advancements have successfully reduced the emission intensity of individual vehicles for most pollutants, the aggregate environmental impact remains sensitive to fleet composition, particularly the shift toward CI engines which contribute disproportionately to NOx and PM loads.

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