title: Seasonal trends of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide over North Santa Clara, Cuba.
abstract: Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels were monitored simultaneously by means of Radiello passive samplers at six sites of Santa Clara city, Cuba, in the cold and the warm seasons in 2010. The dissolved ionic forms of NO2 and SO2 as nitrate and sulfite plus sulfate, respectively, were determined by means of ion chromatography. Analysis of NO2 as nitrite was also performed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. For NO2, significant t tests show good agreement between the results of IC and UV-Vis methods. The NO2 and SO2 concentrations peaked in the cold season, while their minimum levels were experienced in the warm season. The pollutant levels do not exceed the maximum allowable limit of the Cuban Standard 39:1999, i.e., 40 μg/m(3) and 50 μg/m(3) for NO2 and SO2, respectively. The lowest pollutant concentrations obtained in the warm season can be attributed to an increase in their removal via precipitation (scavenging) while to the decreased traffic density and industrial emission during the summer holidays (e.g., July and August).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Universidad Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní Km 5.5, Santa Clara, Cuba. daniellysas@uclv.edu.cu
authors.forename: Daniellys
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alejo
authors.forename: Mayra C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Jorge B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: de la Torre
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bencs
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van Grieken
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Espen
authors.forename: Dismey
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sosa
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nuñez
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D003462:Cuba; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide