Metals in airborne particulate matter in the industrial district of Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, in an annual period

The main goal of this work is to assess the concentrations of total suspended particles (TSP) and airborne particulate trace metals in the Industrial District of Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the main pollution sources are the local industries. The sampling was performed using a high-volume pump. The TSP levels were determined by gravimetry and the metals by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission. A geometrical mean of 87±40 μg m−3 was determined for TSP for the period March 2001–February 2002, which is higher than both the Brazilian primary and secondary standards of air quality. Metals concentrations were compared with literature values for other regions of the world and with air quality standards of regulatory agencies. Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr and Al levels are higher than the reported values for other industrial and urban areas around the world. Mn, Cr and Ni concentrations are higher than the US-EPA standards. Cluster and principal component analysis were used to get some insight about the sources of metals and the correlations among them.