Organic lead compounds in vehicle exhaust

Species-specific measurements of the five tetraalkyllead compounds used in gasoline and their intermediate decomposition products, the tri- and di-alkyllead species, have been made in vehicle exhaust fumes. Under normal engine running conditions 0.3–3% of the lead emitted in exhaust is as an organic compound, but cold, choked engines emit proportionally much larger amounts of alkyllead. Alkyllead is emitted in both the gas and the aerosol phases.