The Effect of Tailpipe Orientation on Carbon Monoxide Dispersion Patterns and Cyclist Exposure Levels 2006-01-0624

This paper investigates the effect of tailpipe orientation on carbon monoxide (CO) dispersion patterns which is directly linked to the CO exposure levels that a cyclist can experience in Oxford City. The most common tailpipe orientations used in Oxford city vehicles have been identified. Following this, the dispersion patterns from various tailpipe orientations were experimentally investigated and the results used to construct contour maps of CO dispersion patterns. The contour maps were used to estimate the likely exposure levels a cyclist can experience. The real-world cyclist CO exposure levels were also measured in two routes in Oxford city and compared with those obtained from the contour maps and data from fixed site monitoring station. The results show that CO levels in the cycle lane are significantly affected by the tailpipe orientation and are higher than the recommended World Health Organization (WHO) exposure levels.