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   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Hidden in plain sight: Windshield washer fluid is an unexpected emission   
   source    
      
     Date:   
         May 30, 2023   
     Source:   
         American Chemical Society   
     Summary:   
         Exhaust fumes probably come to mind when considering vehicle   
         emissions, but they aren't the only source of pollutants released   
         by a daily commute. Researchers report that alcohols in windshield   
         washer fluid account for a larger fraction of real-world vehicle   
         emissions than previous estimates have suggested. Notably,   
         the levels of these non-fuel- derived gases will likely remain   
         unchanged, even as more drivers transition from gas-powered to   
         electric vehicles.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
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   Exhaust fumes probably come to mind when considering vehicle emissions,   
   but they aren't the only source of pollutants released by a daily   
   commute. In a recent ACS' Environmental Science & Technology study,   
   researchers report that alcohols in windshield washer fluid account for   
   a larger fraction of real-world vehicle emissions than previous estimates   
   have suggested. Notably, the levels of these non-fuel-derived gases will   
   likely remain unchanged, even as more drivers transition from gas-powered   
   to electric vehicles.   
      
   Cars' average carbon dioxide emissions have dropped by 25% since the   
   early 2000s, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,   
   but this gas only accounts for part of the total. Another important   
   component of emissions is volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a broad   
   classification of carbon-based molecules that are easily vaporized and   
   that can contribute to ozone formation.   
      
   While some VOCs are released in exhaust, others may arise from an   
   unexpected source -- the products used for "car care," such as windshield   
   washer fluid.   
      
   Estimates from a national inventory of manufacturer statistics in the U.K.   
      
   showed that car-care products could be an even greater source of VOCs than   
   exhaust, but these numbers had never been verified experimentally. So,   
   Samuel Cliff and coworkers decided to measure the amounts of vaporized   
   windshield washer fluid ingredients from cars on a real-world road and   
   compare it to the inventory estimates.   
      
   To measure the VOCs actually emitted by vehicles, the researchers   
   outfitted a van with several instruments, including a mass spectrometer,   
   and parked it near a busy roadway. By comparing the van's measurements   
   with those from a university site with minimal traffic influence,   
   they calculated the average amount of vapor given off per car for each   
   kilometer traveled for several key VOCs.   
      
   The measured values matched inventory estimates for aromatic compounds   
   that are commonly monitored and regulated, but those for alcohols --   
   key ingredients in windshield washer fluid -- far exceeded inventory   
   numbers. In fact, the release of two alcohols, ethanol and methanol, was   
   nearly twice the amount of all VOCs released in exhaust. The discrepancy   
   in alcohol emissions could be accounted for by including solvents from   
   car-care products in the inventory estimations, suggesting that these   
   products are a significant, if unexpected, source of vehicle-derived   
   pollutants. The researchers say that this finding has implications for   
   future regulatory policy especially as drivers transition to electric   
   vehicles, which may have fewer emissions from fuels but will still need   
   clean windshields.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Matter_&_Energy   
                   # Automotive_and_Transportation # Transportation_Science #   
                   Vehicles # Nature_of_Water   
             o Earth_&_Climate   
                   # Energy_and_the_Environment # Air_Quality #   
                   Environmental_Policy # Environmental_Science   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Flexible-fuel_vehicle o Alternative_fuel_vehicle o   
             Battery_electric_vehicle o Hybrid_vehicle o Rocket o   
             Automobile_emissions_control o Drag_(physics) o Fossil_fuel   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by American_Chemical_Society. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Samuel J. Cliff, Alastair C. Lewis, Marvin D. Shaw, James D. Lee,   
      Michael   
         Flynn, Stephen J. Andrews, James R. Hopkins, Ruth M. Purvis,   
         Amber M.   
      
         Yeoman. Unreported VOC Emissions from Road Transport Including   
         from Electric Vehicles. Environmental Science & Technology, 2023;   
         57 (21): 8026 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00845   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230530125420.htm   
      
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