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2013, Number 4

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Revista Cubana de Salud Pública 2013; 39 (4)

Air pollution and wet deposition in Brazilian Amazon

Fonseca DA, Gioda A, Ziolli R, Duó D

Language: Spanish
References: 24
Page:
PDF size: 259.35 Kb.


ABSTRACT

Objective: to determine the influence of air pollutants on the rainwater.
Methods: use of wet deposition in a long-term study conducted in the state of Acre, in Western Amazon, from 2005 to 2010. One hundred and eightyfive rainy events were monitored to determine the pH value, the electrical conductivity and the concentration of total organic carbon. The atmospheric aerosol load was measured by solar photometry whereas the water vapors, temperature, winds and rains were monitored to observe weather conditions.
Results: the pollutant concentration, depending on the aerosol optical depth, varied from very high values of 3 and 4 during the dry season, to very low values of about 0.08 during the rainy season. Twenty five percent of rainfalls were acidic with pH ranging 3 to 4.7, being 5.4 the average value. The electrical conductivity values were generally lower than 10 µS cm-1. The total organic carbon reached relatively high values of 20 to 30 mg L-1.
Conclusions: in the dry season, the forest fires are responsible for high degree of air pollution, but the situation changes in the rainy season when the environment is clean because of the wet deposition. During the dry season, the air aerosol load increases 40 times if compared to the environmental conditions in the dry season. Therefore, more efficient control measures are needed to stop environmental degradation in the Amazon as well as a systematic monitoring of the air pollution for the benefit of human health and other forms of life.


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