Ionic components from rain, emission sources and seasonal meteorological conditions in Cuba
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
of rain on the origin of pollutants affecting air quality in Cuba in order to improve their management. Rainwater samples were gathered from 11 pollution
monitoring stations for Cuba´s atmosphere between November 2008 and April 2010. The different analyses were conducted using ion chromatography
equipment with a conductivity detector. The volume- weighted average pH was slightly basic for most stations, with the exception of the Gran Piedra, Pinares
de Mayari and Palo Seco stations. For all stations, the concentrations of NO3 - and non sea salt SO4 2-were higher than the background values reported
for the northern hemisphere, and the highest concentrations were observed in areas directly influenced by anthropogenic sources. Also, rates of sulfate deposition were high in parts of Cuba, similar to the
rates in some US locations where adverse environmental effects have occurred.The major anthropogenic sources of ions are the burning of fossil fuel by
power plants, cement factories, nickel-processing industries, and the burning of biomass through poor agricultural practices. The western region exhibited
increased concentrations of NO3 - and SO4 2- during the dry season, most likely due to the long-range transport of pollutants from the northeastern United
States and locally. The study concludes that only a small fraction of the potentially acidic ions contributes to the free acidity of Cuba’s rainwater, mainly
due to the neutralizing capacity of Ca2+ and NH4 +.
Downloads
Article Details
Those authors who have publications with this journal accept the following terms of the License Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0):
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
The journal is not responsible for the opinions and concepts expressed in the works, they are the sole responsibility of the authors. The Editor, with the assistance of the Editorial Committee, reserves the right to suggest or request advisable or necessary modifications. They are accepted to publish original scientific papers, research results of interest that have not been published or sent to another journal for the same purpose.
The mention of trademarks of equipment, instruments or specific materials is for identification purposes, and there is no promotional commitment in relation to them, neither by the authors nor by the publisher.