Since 1976, methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT), an organic derivative of Mn, has been used in Canada as an anti-knock agent in unleaded gasoline. In a preliminary evaluation of the contribution of MMT to urban air pollution, the CO and NOx emissions of 10 vehicles each having traveled less than 17 000 miles were sampled. Five of these vehicles were filled with MMT-free gasoline and the remaining five with MMT-added gasoline. The emissions were evaluated according to the Federal Test Procedure which simulates urban and highway driving cycles. As for the NOx and CO analysis, it was carried out by means of infrared spectrometry, while the concentration of Mn in the gasoline was determined through neutron activation. Overall, the amount of CO emitted by the vehicles using MMT-added gasoline was 1.48 g mile-1 ± 1.77. The amount emitted by the vehicles using clear (MMT-free) gasoline was 0.74 g mile-1 ± 0.88. As for the NOx emission level, it was 0.20 g mile-1 ± 0.15 for the vehicles using MMT-added gasoline vs 0.17 g mile-1 ± 0.18 for the vehicles using clear gasoline. However, probably due to the small sample size and the very high level of emission of one of the vehicles using MMT-added gasoline, these differences are not statistically significant. Further studies should take into account variables such as the driving history and the representativity of the fleet of vehicles tested.