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Study finds São Paulo switch from ethanol to gasoline dropped local ozone levels by 20%, increased CO and nitric oxide concentrations

Green Car Congress

A study by a pair of researchers at Northwestern University found that when fuel prices drove residents of São Paulo, Brazil, to switch from ethanol to gasoline in their flexible-fuel vehicles, local ozone levels dropped 20%. Ozone levels are relatively high in São Paulo, with hourly concentrations above 75 and 125 µg m ?

Ozone 316
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Texas study finds PHEV use could increase ozone at night, decrease ozone during the day

Green Car Congress

A study by researchers at the University of Texas found that in general, use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) can lead to an increase in ozone during nighttime hours (due to decreased scavenging from both vehicles and EGU stacks) and a decrease in ozone during daytime hours.

Ozone 218
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São Paulo study finds concentration of ultrafine particulates rose by 1/3 in switch from ethanol to gasoline

Green Car Congress

Geiger and Alberto Salvo, an associate professor of economics at the National University of Singapore, led the study—their second with São Paulo big data. Officials, Geiger said, will need to weigh the increase in ozone against the decrease in nanoparticles when ethanol is used. are not regulated.

Gasoline 150
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UK researchers report that alcohols in windshield washer fluid are major unreported source of VOCs emissions from cars, including EVs

Green Car Congress

In a recent open-access paper published in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology , researchers from the University of York report that alcohols in windshield washer fluid account for a larger fraction of real-world vehicle emissions than previous estimates have suggested. Cliff et al.

Emissions 397
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Using Ozone-Generated Bubbles to Remove Oil Sheen and Contaminants from Water

Green Car Congress

A University of Utah engineer has developed an inexpensive new method to remove oil sheen by repeatedly pressurizing and depressurizing ozone gas, creating microscopic bubbles that attack the oil so it can be removed by sand filters. —Professor Andy Hong. Water from mining of oil sands and oil shale. Heavy metals in soil.

Ozone 199
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Airborne measurements show ozone-forming VOCs emissions from ethanol plant higher than government estimates

Green Car Congress

VOCs and nitrogen oxides react with sunlight to form ground-level ozone, the main component of smog. Over the past decade, because of the renewable fuel mandate, we have added 10 percent of ethanol to all the gasoline that is sold in the U.S. and so the question is: what does that do to the environment. —Joost de Gouw.

Ozone 150
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CARB releases results of multi-year E15 study; multiple air quality benefits with slight reduction in fuel economy

Green Car Congress

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has released the results of a multiyear study evaluating exhaust emissions from the use of California Reformulated Gasoline (CaRFG) that contains 15 volume percent ethanol (E15). California currently limits the ethanol content of gasoline to 10 percent.