Trace elements in atmospheric particulate matter from an agro-industrial region in southeastern Brazil

Author(s)

Patrícia Lopes de Oliveira ^[1] ; Bernardino Ribeiro Figueiredo ^[2] ; Arnaldo Alves Cardoso ^[3] ; Rômulo Simões Angélica ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Instituto de Geociências - Brasil

^[2] Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Instituto de Geociências - Brasil

^[3] Universidade Estadual Paulista. Instituto de Química - Brasil

^[4] Universidade Federal do Pará. Centro de Geociências - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Química Nova; v. 36, n. 4, p. 533-539, 2013-00-00.

Abstract

Trace element concentrations were measured in atmospheric particulate matter collected in 2009 and 2010, in a Brazilian region influenced by pre-harvest burning of sugar cane crops. For coarse particles, high concentrations of Al, Fe, K and Ca suggested that re-suspended soil dust was the main source of aerosol trace elements, subsequently confirmed by XRD analysis. High levels of K, Zn, As, Cd and Pb were found in fine particles, confirming the contribution of biomass burning and vehicle emissions, whereas Na, Al, K, Fe and Zn were the representative elements in ultrafine particles, influenced by a diversity of sources. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/58073-5 - Effects of emissions on current and future rainfall patterns in southeast Brazil
• Grantee: Arnaldo Alves Cardoso
• Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Thematic Grants