Exhaust Toxicological Profiles from Direct Injection Engine With and Without Diesel Particulate Filter Regeneration During NEDC Cycling

European regulations have made the use of diesel particulate filter (DPF) unavoidable because all future diesel vehicles have to comply with the Euro 5 regulation regarding particulate matter emissions. Indeed, DPF has an overall excellent filtering efficiency but should be periodically regenerated. We propose here an in vitro comparative toxicological study of diluted sampled exhaust, emitted during legislative NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) cycles with or without a DPF regeneration phase. Pollutants, particle sizing, ESR (Electron Spin Resonance) measurement and post-exposure biological evaluation were monitored. Only TNFα (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha), a biological molecule produced during inflammatory processes, was slightly induced for the highest exhaust concentration including regeneration phase. In conclusion, it appears that regeneration process does not induce an acute toxicity.