Read about our work

Explore a collection of research and insights produced by GreenLet and notable contributions from past collaborations. The published work spans emissions characterization and prediction, sustainable aviation fuels, health and climate effects, and more—driving informed solutions for regulations and the industry.

Publications

Reports

Summary of the ICAO Symposium on Non-CO2 Aviation Emissions

This report provides a comprehensive summary of the ICAO Symposium on Non-CO2 Aviation Emissions, held in Montreal from September 16 to 18, 2024. The report is divided into two parts. Part 1 synthesizes the state of scientific knowledge on non-CO2 emissions, identifies knowledge gaps, and outlines ongoing research, policy actions, and technological developments aimed at mitigating their effects. Part 2 delves deeper into specific sessions from the symposium, providing detailed summaries of expert presentations and discussions.

Refining Methodologies for Estimating Non-Volatile Particulate Matter Emissions from Smoke Number

Deliverable D6 of the EASA-funded SAMPLE IV project.

This report focuses on refining methodologies for estimating non-volatile Particulate Matter (nvPM) emissions from Smoke Number (SN) data for both regulated and unregulated aircraft turbine engines. The study aims to assess and improve the accuracy of existing estimation
methods, particularly SCOPE11 and the First-Order Approximation version 4 (FOA4), by
evaluating their performance across a wide range of engine types and operational conditions.

Emission Characteristics Variability of Commercial Turbofan Engines: A 10-Year Study

A public report of the Swiss FOCA-funded project AGEAIR II (compiled at ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences).

This report, compiled over a decade of research, investigates the emission characteristics of commercial turbofan engines. It highlights the need for updated emission data, critical for environmental regulations and technological advancements in aviation.

The primary goal was to understand the variability in emission characteristics of in-service commercial jet engines CFM56-7B, CFM56-5B, CFM56-5C, Pratt & Whitney PW4000-94 and PW4000-100 focusing on regulated emissions like NOx, CO, hydrocarbons, visible smoke (smoke number, SN), and non-volatile particulate matter (nvPM).

Research articles

Full list of publications on Google Scholar.

Characterizing and Predicting nvPM Size Distributions for Aviation Emission Inventories and Environmental Impact

Lukas Durdina, Eliot Durand, Jacinta Edebeli, Curdin Spirig, Benjamin T. Brem, Miriam Elser, Frithjof Siegerist, Mark Johnson, Yura A. Sevcenco, and Andrew P. Crayford

Environmental Science & Technology 2024, 58, 10548-10557

DOI:10.1021/acs.est.4c02538

Reduction of Nonvolatile Particulate Matter Emissions of a Commercial Turbofan Engine at the Ground Level from the Use of a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Blend

Lukas Durdina, Benjamin T. Brem, Miriam Elser, David Schönenberger, Frithjof Siegerist, Julien. G. Anet

Environmental Science & Technology 2021, 55, 14576-14585

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04744

Non-Volatile Particulate Matter Emissions of a Business Jet Measured at Ground Level and Estimated for Cruising Altitudes

Lukas Durdina, Benjamin T. Brem, David Schönenberger, Frithjof Siegerist, Julien G. Anet, T. Rindlisbacher

Environmental Science & Technology 2019, 53, 21, 12865–12872

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b02513

Assessment of particle pollution from jetliners: from smoke visibility to nanoparticle counting

Lukas Durdina, Benjamin T Brem, Ari Setyan, Frithjof Siegerist, Theo Rindlisbacher, Jing Wang

Environmental Science & Technology 2017, 51, 6, 3534–3541

DOI:10.1021/acs.est.6b05801

Soot aerosols from commercial aviation engines are poor ice-nucleating particles at cirrus cloud temperatures

Baptiste Testa, Lukas Durdina, Peter A Alpert, Fabian Mahrt, Christopher H Dreimol, Jacinta Edebeli, Curdin Spirig, Zachary CJ Decker, Julien Anet, Zamin A Kanji

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 24, 4537–4567

DOI:10.5194/acp-24-4537-2024

Correction for particle loss in a regulatory aviation nvPM emissions system using measured particle size

Eliot Durand, Lukas Durdina, Greg Smallwood, Mark Johnson, Curdin Spirig, Jacinta Edebeli, Manuel Roth, Benjamin Brem, Yura Sevcenco, Andrew Crayford

Journal of Aerosol Science 169 (2023), 106140

DOI:10.1016/j.jaerosci.2023.106140

Comparison of standardized sampling and measurement reference systems for aircraft engine non-volatile particulate matter emissions

Prem Lobo, Lukas Durdina, Benjamin T Brem, Andrew P Crayford, Mark P Johnson, Greg J Smallwood, Frithjof Siegerist, Paul I Williams, Elizabeth A Black, Andrea Llamedo, Kevin A Thomson, Max B Trueblood, Zhenhong Yu, Donald E Hagen, Philip D Whitefield, Richard C Miake-Lye, Theo Rindlisbacher

Journal of Aerosol Science, 145 ( 2020), 105557

DOI: 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2020.105557

Effects of fuel aromatic content on nonvolatile particulate emissions of an in-production aircraft gas turbine

Benjamin T Brem, Lukas Durdina, Frithjof Siegerist, Peter Beyerle, Kevin Bruderer, Theo Rindlisbacher, Sara Rocci-Denis, M Gurhan Andac, Joseph Zelina, Olivier Penanhoat, Jing Wang

Environmental Science & Technology 2015, 49, 22, 13149-13157

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b04167

Measurement of aircraft engine non-volatile PM emissions: Results of the aviation-particle regulatory instrumentation demonstration experiment (A-PRIDE) 4 campaign

Prem Lobo, Lukas Durdina, Gregory J Smallwood, Theodor Rindlisbacher, Frithjof Siegerist, Elizabeth A Black, Zhenhong Yu, Amewu A Mensah, Donald E Hagen, Richard C Miake-Lye, Kevin A Thomson, Benjamin T Brem, Joel C Corbin, Manuel Abegglen, Berko Sierau, Philip D Whitefield, Jing Wang

Aerosol Science & Technology , 49:472-484, 2015

DOI: 10.1080/02786826.2015.1047012

Corelease of Genotoxic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Nanoparticles from a Commercial Aircraft Jet Engine–Dependence on Fuel and Thrust

Norbert V Heeb, Maria Muñoz, Regula Haag, Simon Wyss, David Schönenberger, Lukas Durdina, Miriam Elser, Frithjof Siegerist, Joachim Mohn, Benjamin T Brem

Environmental Science & Technology 2024, 58, 1615-1624

DOI:10.1021/acs.est.3c08152

Chemical composition and radiative properties of nascent particulate matter emitted by an aircraft turbofan burning conventional and alternative fuels

Miriam Elser, Benjamin Tobias Brem, Lukas Durdina, David Schönenberger, Frithjof Siegerist, Andrea Fischer, Jing Wang

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 19, 6809–6820

DOI: 10.5194/acp-19-6809-2019

Responses of reconstituted human bronchial epithelia from normal and health-compromised donors to non-volatile particulate matter emissions from an aircraft turbofan engine

Mathilde N Delaval, Hulda R Jonsdottir, Zaira Leni, Alejandro Keller, Benjamin T Brem, Frithjof Siegerist, David Schönenberger, Lukas Durdina, Miriam Elser, Matthias Salathe, Nathalie Baumlin, Prem Lobo, Heinz Burtscher, Anthi Liati, Marianne Geiser

Environmental Pollution 307 (2022) 119521

DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119521

Presentations

Refining Methodologies for Estimating Non-Volatile Particulate Matter Emissions from Smoke Number for Regulated and Unregulated Aircraft Turbine Engines

Presentation for the ICAO CAEP Working Group 3 Meeting, October 2024

Swiss research of particle emissions reduction with sustainable aviation fuels

Presentation for the 26th ETH Nanoparticle Conference, June 2023