Abstract
The loss of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) occurs during the refueling of passenger cars. This study was undertaken to estimate the hydrocarbon emissions caused by these refueling losses by vapor loss measurements using a sealed housing for the evaporative determination. The refueling loss in Tokyo in FY2009 was estimated to be approximately 10,000 tons, which represents a slight increase in comparison to that in FY2005. The ratio of refueling loss to the total VOC emission also increased. The cost of damage due to refueling loss was estimated to be approximately 1,900 million yen in Tokyo and approximately 16,200 million yen in Japan overall. Evaporative components that were not included in the standard gases used for the VOC were measured. Because these components contain a large amount of alkenes which tend to have higher MIR values, the contribution ratio of the refueling-loss in photochemical ozone generation were estimated to be higher by considering such trace components.
