Isotopic Composition of Nitrate and Ammonium in Sao Paulo, Brazil Wet Deposition
Adrianna Chapa1, J. David Felix2 and M Lucia A M Campos3
Humans have altered the nitrogen cycle by emitting excess reactive nitrogen into the atmosphere causing ammonia (NH3) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) concentrations in the atmosphere to increase exponentially over the last century. This excess nitrogen causes negative environmental and health effects by contributing to acid rain, decreased air quality, soil acidification, eutrophication, and a change in biodiversity. In order to better understand the nitrogen cycle, emission sources, and mitigation strategies, regional emissions of NH3 and NOx should be quantified. This study will measure the stable isotopic composition of nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) in wet deposition in order to estimate NH3 and NOx emission sources in the Ribeirao Preto region of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Wet deposition in the form of rain samples were collected after every rain event in Ribeirao Preto from October 2018 through October 2019. Preliminary δ15N-NO3- and δ15N-NH4+ data from October 2018 to June 2019 ranged from -6.4 to 14.4‰ (n = 25) and -19.8 to 11.3‰ (n = 17) with an average of -0.9 ± 4.4‰ and -8.6 ± 7.4‰ respectively. The δ15N-NO3- and δ15N-NH4+ values in rainwater will be corrected for fractionation processes and along with δ15N values of NOx and NH3 emission sources will be applied to the Stable Isotope Analysis in R (SIAR) mixing model program to estimate source contributions. This project will help understand the emission sources affecting air quality in Sao Paulo, Brazil and provide information on the emission and transportation of NOx and NH3 in the environment.
1Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi; Center for, achapa21@islander.tamucc.edu 2Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi; Center for, joseph.felix@tamucc.edu 3Departamento de Química, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, lcampos@ffclrp.usp.br