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Abstract

Are inventory-based CO to fossil fuel CO2 and NOx to fossil fuel CO2 emission ratios correct? Three measurement campaigns are conducted for this thesis, investigating highway traffic and residential heating to find their sector-dominated CO to fossil fuel CO2 and NOx to fossil fuel CO2 emission ratios.

Two mobile laboratories equipped with ten meter tall masts are used to ensure proximity to the emitters in order to isolate emissions from the sector in question. The determined sector-dominated effective atmospheric emission ratios are compared to emission ratios from an emission inventory. The long-term trend of measured CO emission ratios in Heidelberg are evaluated and compared to modelled CO emission ratios based on an inventory combined with an atmospheric transport model.

It is found that CO emissions from highway traffic are underestimated by the inventory. Correcting the modelled CO emission ratios with the highway traffic results leads to a better agreement between measured and modelled CO emission ratios for the long-term trend. These results call for an investigation of the problem by the traffic modelling community.