PM2.5 emissions from different types of heavy-duty truck: a case study and meta-analysis of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region in China is affected seriously by the hazy weather that has a large impact on human health. PM2.5 is one of the most important reasons for hazy weather. Understanding the PM2.5 emission characteristics from different types of heavy-duty trucks (HDTs) is valuable in policies and regulations to improve urban air quality and mitigate vehicle emission in China. The investigation and analysis on HDT population and PM2.5 emission in BTH region are carried out. The results show that the population and PM2.5 emission of HDTs in BTH has risen for the last four consecutive years, from 404 thousand and 1795 tons in 2012 to 551 thousand and 2303 tons in 2015. The PM2.5 emission from HDTs in Hebei is about 10 times more than that of Beijing and 9 times more than that of Tianjin. The proportion of natural gas HDTs is about 5%; however, its PM2.5 emission only accounts for 0.94% in 2015, which indicates the utilization of HDTs powered by natural gas facilitate PM2.5 mitigation more than diesel in BTH. The tractor and pickup trucks are the main source of PM2.5 emission from different types of HDT, while special and dump trucks are relatively clean. This study has provided insights for management method and policy-making of vehicle in terms of environmental demand.