The gridlocked city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, hosts the largest fleet of flex fuel vehicles in the world. Because consumer choice of fuel is often dictated by cost, the recent price-out of ethanol by gasoline offered unique conditions to study the effects of fuel choice on atmospheric pollutant concentrations. In this presentation, we analyze the concentration levels of several atmospheric pollutants during periods of high and low ethanol prices in the period between 2009 and 2011. Controlling for meteorological conditions and spatial traffic flows, we isolate the influence of the relative price of fuels on air quality in a megacity.

Investigating the impact of ethanol vs. gasoline fuel consumption on air quality in Sao Paulo, Brazil

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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