Atmospheric Total Suspended Particulate Trace Element Identification by XRF at Ilha Grande, State of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Phosphorus, manganese, sulfur (S), lead, and strontium of atmospheric total suspended particulate matter, sampled during the rainy season and the dry season 2002 at the Ilha Grande Island (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) have been analyzed by XRF techniques. The results showed total mean concentrations of 27 ± 16 ng P m-3, 11 ± 7 ng Mn m-3, 159 ± 126 ng S m-3, 4.3 ± 2.6 ng Pb m-3, and 208 ± 148 ng Sr m-3. Generally, there is no clear influence of the two different climatic periods on the concentrations of most analyzed trace elements, with exception of sulfur the mean concentration of which, during the dry season, is about 60% higher than during the rainy season. This is probably due to biomass burning, a common practice in the Brazilian Southeast and Amazon region and/or to the presence of marine aerosols. The linear correlation coefficients strongly suggest the same source for P, Pb, and Mn. Some Pb, Mn, and P concentrations are in the range of typical values of urban areas. Potential sources of such elements are the urban and industrial emissions from the States of Rio de Janeiro and/or Sao Paulo.