Black Carbon and Particulate Matter Concentrations: Air Pollution Levels in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

This research explores the concentration of black carbon (BC) in particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) from ten monitoring stations in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro (MRRJ), Bonsucesso (BS), Botafogo (BOT), Copacabana (COP), Gavea (GAV), Gericino (GER), Lagoa (LAG), Recreio dos Bandeirantes (REC), Santa Cruz (SC), Castelo (CAS) and Urca (URC), covering a range of pollution sources (vehicular, industrial, and residential). PM samples were collected using filter units every week from January 2018 to December 2019. Results revealed high concentrations of PM10 in BS (86 ± 22 µg m-3) and PM2.5 in REC (30 ± 11 µg m-3). Likewise, both monitoring stations exceeded the international limits. In 2019, BC in PM10 decreased in the following order: BS > CAS > GER > BOT > SC > GAV. For 2018, BC in PM2.5 decreased as follows REC > LAG > SC, while 2019 REC > GAV > LAG > COP > URC. REC and BS have industrial and commercial activities and intense vehicular traffic. During the period of study, average BC concentrations in PM10 and PM2.5 were 3.3 ± 1.5 and 1.9 ± 0.70 µg m-3, respectively. These findings indicate that BC concentrations should be monitored and regulated in locations with high levels of traffic-related air pollution for offering new insights and guiding efforts to minimize emissions and enhance public health.