Full text
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| Author(s): |
Larissa Richter
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Química |
| Defense date: | 2015-07-30 |
| Examining board members: |
Anne Hélène Fostier;
João Andrade de Carvalho Junior;
Cassiana Carolina Montagner
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| Advisor: | Anne Hélène Fostier |
| Abstract | |
Mercury is a metal with an elevated toxic potential and, because of its high vapor pressure, it is easily released to the atmosphere. The sources of this metal can be natural, anthropogenic or even from re-emissions. With the increase of anthropogenic activity that has been observed since the industrial revolution, it has been ascertained increments on the issued mercury amount or reissued to the atmosphere. Knowing that mercury has several sources to the atmosphere and one expressive of these are the biomass burnings (~ 8 %), the following project described the studies on the Hg loss rates of soils and vegetation (litter) as a function of forest burning. The proposal consists on the accomplishment of burning experiments in the Amazon biome and in laboratory. In the forest burning experiments had been made, collecting litter and soil samples before and after the burning. In these samples, the concentrations of total Hg were determined using a direct mercury analyzer resulting in significant Hg losses in the vegetation and in the superficial soils (0-1 cm). As the initial hypotheses was that Hg emission happens in more severe burning conditions, variants that also had a relation with fire severity were investigated and correlations between Hg loss with humidity, organic matter and the ratio between the amounts of the elements calcium and carbon present on the soil. In order to evaluate which variables affect the Hg emissions by the soils, heating experiments were done in the laboratory with soil samples collected in the experimental areas, submitting these to heating in a furnace. As a result of these experiments it had been proved the influence of the time of heating, being found a high correlation between time and mercury loss (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 14/00555-5 - Mercury emissions from soil and litter during forest burning |
| Grantee: | Larissa Richter |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Master |