Inventory of pollutant emission from motor vehicles in Poland using the COPERT 5 software

BEBKIEWICZ, Katarzyna; CHŁOPEK, Zdzisław; LASOCKI, Jakub; SZCZEPAŃSKI, Krystian; ZIMAKOWSKA-LASKOWSKA, Magdalena · 2019 · Crossref

DOI: 10.19206/ce-2019-326

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This study presents the first inventory of pollutant emissions from motor vehicles in Poland using the COPERT 5 software, conducted for official reporting within the European Union framework. The research addresses the need to update emission inventories following the release of COPERT 5, which incorporates improved vehicle categorization and emission characteristics based on real-world operation data. The primary objective was to quantify national annual emissions for 2016 and compare them with 2015 data to assess trends in both total emission volumes and energy-specific emission factors. The methodology involved calculating emissions for a comprehensive range of pollutants, including health-hazardous substances (carbon monoxide, non-methane volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter) and greenhouse effect contributors (carbon dioxide, ammonia, and nitrous oxide). Input data for the COPERT 5 model included vehicle fleet statistics across various categories (passenger cars, light and heavy-duty vehicles, buses, and motorcycles) and fuel consumption figures for gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, and natural gas. The analysis also evaluated heavy metal emissions. To isolate technological improvements from fleet growth, the authors calculated average energy emission factors, defined as the ratio of annual pollutant emission to the energy content of consumed fuel. The results indicate that total national emissions for all inventoried pollutants increased in 2016 compared to 2015, driven primarily by a rise in the number of vehicles and a significant increase in diesel fuel consumption. Specifically, the relative increase in total emissions for carbon monoxide and non-methane volatile organic compounds was less than 10%, while nitrogen oxides and particulate matter increased by less than 15%. Carbon dioxide emissions rose by approximately 14%, correlating with increased fuel use. However, the energy emission factor analysis revealed divergent trends: emissions per unit of energy for carbon monoxide and non-methane volatile organic compounds decreased by approximately 5%, indicating improved vehicle efficiency or cleaner technology. Conversely, energy emission factors for nitrogen oxides and particulate matter increased by 3–4%. Heavy metal emission factors showed minimal change. The study concludes that while total emissions from road transport in Poland are rising due to fleet expansion and higher fuel consumption, the ecological performance of the vehicle fleet regarding certain pollutants is improving. The shift toward larger vehicles and increased diesel usage contributes to higher absolute emissions of carbon dioxide and particulates, despite reductions in energy-specific emissions for other pollutants. This inventory provides a critical baseline for future environmental policy and highlights the impact of vehicle type and fuel choice on national emission profiles.

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