Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-535
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-535
05 May 2023
 | 05 May 2023

Measurement report: Inland ship emissions and their contribution to NOx and ultrafine particle concentrations at the Rhine

Philipp Eger, Theresa Mathes, Alex Zavarsky, and Lars Duester

Abstract. Emission plumes of around 4700 ship passages were detected between March 2021 and June 2022 in the Upper Rhine valley in Worms, Germany. In combination with ship-related data recorded via the Automatic Identification System (AIS), the plume composition of individuals ships was analysed and it was possible to quantify their contribution to the overall emission load. To obtain an integral picture of inland ship emissions, nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements in the gas-phase were combined with detailed particle-phase measurements including particle number concentration (PNC), particle size distribution (PSD) from 5 nm to 10 µm, particulate matter (PM1 and PM2.5), ultrafine particle fraction (UFP, diameter < 100 nm) and aerosol black carbon (BC). One measuring station was located in a bridge directly above the navigation channel and was especially helpful in deriving emission factors under real-world driving conditions for the fleet on the Upper Rhine. The other station was situated on a river bank at about 40 m distance to the shipping lane and was thus representative for the exposure of people working or living close to the Rhine. Inland ships contributed 1.2 µg m−3 or 7 % on average to the local nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration at the bridge above the shipping lane. NOx concentrations were increased by 10.5 µg m−3 (50 %), PNC by 800 particles cm−3 (10 %), PM1 by 0.4 µg m−3 (4 %) and BC by 0.15 µg m−3 (15 %). On the river bank a NOx increase of 1.6 µg m−3 (8 %) and an NO2 increase of 0.4 µg m−3 (3 %) were observed. More than 75 % of emitted particles were found in the UFP range with a geometric mean particle diameter of 52 ± 23 nm. Calculated emission factors (25–75 percentiles) were 26–44 g per kg of fuel for NOx, 1.9–3.2 g kg−1 for NO2, 0.3–0.7 g kg−1 for BC, 0.9–2.3 g kg−1 for PM1 and (1–3) × 1015 particles kg−1 for PNC, with a large variability observed from ship to ship. Relating these values to ship-specific parameters revealed the importance of engine characteristics, i.e. vessels using old motors with low revolutions per minute (RPM) caused comparably high emission factors for both NOx and PNC. Comparison with emission regulation limits set by the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) and the European Union (EU) showed that mean energy-dependent emission factors under real-driving conditions were slightly above the respective requirements based on controlled laboratory conditions. The results from this study underline the importance of long-term measurements with high temporal resolution to reliably estimate the contribution of inland shipping to air pollution in cities along heavy traffic waterways and to monitor a potential future emission reduction when modernizing the fleet.

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

08 Aug 2023
Measurement report: Inland ship emissions and their contribution to NOx and ultrafine particle concentrations at the Rhine
Philipp Eger, Theresa Mathes, Alex Zavarsky, and Lars Duester
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 8769–8788, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8769-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8769-2023, 2023
Short summary

Philipp Eger et al.

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-535', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 May 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-535', Anonymous Referee #2, 16 Jun 2023

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-535', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 May 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-535', Anonymous Referee #2, 16 Jun 2023

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Philipp Eger on behalf of the Authors (29 Jun 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (29 Jun 2023) by Ronald Cohen
AR by Philipp Eger on behalf of the Authors (03 Jul 2023)  Author's response   Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

08 Aug 2023
Measurement report: Inland ship emissions and their contribution to NOx and ultrafine particle concentrations at the Rhine
Philipp Eger, Theresa Mathes, Alex Zavarsky, and Lars Duester
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 8769–8788, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8769-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8769-2023, 2023
Short summary

Philipp Eger et al.

Data sets

Dataset for 'Inland ship emissions and their contribution to NOx and ultrafine particle concentrations at the Rhine' (Version 1) Philipp Eger, Theresa Mathes, Alex Zavarsky, and Lars Duester https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7896435

Philipp Eger et al.

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Short summary
We investigated the contribution of inland shipping to air pollution at the river Rhine in Germany. Land-based measurements of gaseous and particulate pollutants were carried out for more than one year to provide a realistic estimate for the exposure of people to air pollution close to the riverside. Emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter relative to the amount of fuel used, and their dependence on ship size, engine type and operating conditions were examined.