title: Hydrocarbon concentration and source appraisal in atmospheric particulate matter (PM₂.₅) of an urban tropical area.
abstract: Polycyclic aromatic (46 PAHs) and aliphatic hydrocarbons (C12-C40) were studied in atmospheric particulate matter sampled in Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area (RJMA). In total, 236 samples from six different sites were collected simultaneously and weekly over 1 year (January-December 2011) allowing a robust atmospheric characterization of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Hydrocarbon concentration was in general low compared to previous studies in the area (PAHs range 0.25-19.3 ng m(-3)), possibly due to changes in fuel composition over time. Precipitation is the main meteorological parameter that rules particulate and hydrocarbon concentration, modifying PAH typology by scavenging. Aliphatic and aromatic diagnostic ratios gave indications conflicting with combustion features. However, ratios showed differences among sites. Principal component analysis (PCA) associated to multiple linear regressions (MLR) allowed quantitative estimate of sources and effectively indicated vehicular emission as the main hydrocarbon source in the atmospheric particulate matter.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO), 22453-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. cgmassone@gmail.com.|Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira (IEAPM), Grupo de Oceanografia Qíımica e Geoquímica, 28930-000, Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil. cgmassone@gmail.com.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Massone
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO), 22453-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: A L R
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Wagener
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO), 22453-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO), 22453-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gioda
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001938:Brazil; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons; D014329:Tropical Climate; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
keywords: Atmospheric pollution; Diagnostic ratios; Hydrocarbon sources; PCA-MLR; PM2.5; Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area