Possible influence of shipping emissions on metals in size-segregated particulate matter in Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

In the world of growing maritime fleets, ships powered by fossil fuels are being widely used that are responsible for atmospheric emissions such as particulate matter (PM). When inhaled, these can cause serious injury to the body and affect internal organs, because the particle size is on a tiny scale. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) regulates the standards for emissions from marine diesel engines. However, although they pose risks to human health and the environment, the metals present in PM are not covered by Brazilian national current legislation. This study is based on the results of sampling of PM in the atmosphere of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by means of the MOUDI cascade impactor, followed by acid opening of the collected PM and subsequent chemical analysis by ICP-MS for the determination of Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn. In coarse particles, the mean values ranged from 0.11 ng m −3 for Ba to 24.9 ng m −3 for Fe; in fine particles, from 0.07 ng m −3 for Co to 25.0 ng m −3 for Fe; and in ultrafine particles, from 0.11 ng m −3 for Ba to 9.71 ng m −3 for Fe. Finally, the nanoparticles (Ba and Ca) were not detected and the maximum value obtained was 5.32 ng m −3 for Mn.