Nitrogen Stable Isotope Composition (δ¹⁵N) of Vehicle-Emitted NO_<i>x</i>

Abstract

The nitrogen stable isotope ratio of NOx (δ(15)N-NOx) has been proposed as a regional indicator for NOx source partitioning; however, knowledge of δ(15)N values from various NOx emission sources is limited. This study presents a detailed analysis of δ(15)N-NOx emitted from vehicle exhaust, the largest source of anthropogenic NOx. To accomplish this, NOx was collected from 26 different vehicles, including gasoline and diesel-powered engines, using a modification of a NOx collection method used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and δ(15)N-NOx was analyzed. The vehicles sampled in this study emitted δ(15)N-NOx values ranging from -19.1 to 9.8‰ that negatively correlated with the emitted NOx concentrations (8.5 to 286 ppm) and vehicle run time because of kinetic isotope fractionation effects associated with the catalytic reduction of NOx. A model for determining the mass-weighted δ(15)N-NOx from vehicle exhaust was constructed on the basis of average commute times, and the model estimates an average value of -2.5 ± 1.5‰, with slight regional variations. As technology improvements in catalytic converters reduce cold-start emissions in the future, it is likely to increase current δ(15)N-NOx values emitted from vehicles.