Measurements of Pollutants inside an Automobile

Abstract

A series of experiments was conducted to determine the concentration of certain pollutants inside a car under typical driving conditions. The work was performed during the summer months in the Los Angeles area and measurements of O₃, CO, NO, and NO_x were taken. It was found that the O₃ concentration in the passenger compartment may be maintained at relatively low values provided that the influx of outside air is limited. The low levels were explained by decay of O₃ on surfaces within the compartment. The average concentration of the other components inside the car is about equal to that on the outside. In the current tests, however, the measured concentrations did not exceed any of the present standards.