Chemical composition of rainwater in the Sinos River Basin, Southern Brazil: a source apportionment study

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 25; no. 24; pp. 24150 - 24161
• Main Authors: Alves, Darlan Daniel, Backes, Ezequiele, Rocha-Uriartt, Ledyane, Riegel, Roberta Plangg, de Quevedo, Daniela Müller, Schmitt, Jairo Lizandro, da Costa, Gustavo Marques, Osório, Daniela Montanari Migliavacca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air Pollution; Air quality; Anions; Anions - analysis; Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic Pollution; Atmosphere; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Brazil; Calcium; Calcium ions; Cations; Cations - analysis; Chemical composition; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Emission analysis; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental impact; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental science; Fossil fuels; Human influences; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Livestock; Magnesium; Models, Theoretical; Nitrates - analysis; Nitric acid; Organic chemistry; pH effects; Pollution sources; Rain - chemistry; Rain water; Research Article; River basins; Rivers; Sodium - analysis; Sulfates - analysis; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Brazil; Rainwater; pH; Ionic species; Neutralization factor; Bulk deposition; Positive matrix factorization
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2505-1

This study aimed to assess the chemical composition of the rainwater in three areas of different environmental impact gradients in Southern Brazil using the receptor model EPA Positive Matrix Factorization (EPA PMF 5.0). The samples were collected in a bulk sampler, from October 2012 to August 2014, in three sampling sites along with the Sinos River Basin: Caraá, Taquara, and Campo Bom. The major ions NH 4 + , Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , F − , Cl − , NO 3 − , SO 4 2− , and pH were analyzed, as well as identify the main emission sources. The most abundant cations and anions were Ca 2+ , Na + , Cl − , and SO 4 2− , respectively. The mean pH value in the Sinos River Basin during the study period was 6.07 ± 0.49 (5.13–7.05), which suggests inputs of alkaline species into the atmosphere. The most important neutralizing agents of sulfuric and nitric acids in the Sinos River Basin are Ca 2+ (NF = 1.36) and NH 4 + (NF = 0.57). The source apportionment provided by the EPA PMF 5.0 resulted in four factors, which demonstrate the influence of anthropogenic and natural sources, in the form of (a) industry/combustion of fossil fuels (F − and SO 4 2− ), (b) marine contribution (Na + and Cl − ), (c) crustal contribution (K + , Ca 2+ , and NO 3 − ), and (d) agriculture/livestock (NH 4 + ). Therefore, this study allows a more appropriate understanding of factors that contribute to rainwater chemical composition and also to possible changes in air quality.