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Hopanoid hydrocarbons in PM10 from road tunnels in São Paulo, Brazil

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Abstract

The fleet of flexible fuel vehicles in Brazil is the largest in the world. To diagnose the contribution of vehicle emissions to atmospheric particulate matter, organic molecular markers, such as hopanes, can be used. However, nothing is known about the particulate matter mass fractions of these tracers in environments exclusively impacted by road emissions. In this study, the hopanoid composition of PM10 inside two tunnels in the São Paulo metropolitan area with very distinct circulating fleets (Jânio Quadros (JQ) and Rodoanel (RA)) was obtained. Higher mean concentrations (82.4 ng m−3) and PM10 mass fractions (239 ng mg−1) were obtained in RA, in which the fleet is composed of both light and heavy duty vehicles. The most abundant species were 17α(H),21β(H)-30-norhopane (27.9 ng mg−1 in JQ, 47.9 ng mg−1 in RA) and 17α(H),21β(H)-hopane (32.6 ng mg−1 in JQ, 44.3 ng mg−1 in RA). Diverse concentration ratios were calculated and compared with those of other sources. Overlapping values may preclude the use of these parameters as source assignment tools. Some compounds, such as 18α(H)-22,29,30-trisnorneohopane, 17α(H)-22,29,30-trisnorhopane, 17α(H),21β(H)-30-norhopane, 18α(H)-30-norneohopane, 17α(H),21β(H)-hopane, 17α(H),21β(H)-22S-homohopane and 17α(H),21β(H)-22R-homohopane, were found to be very good predictors of the total concentrations of hopanoids.

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Acknowledgments

The sampling programme was supported by the Research Foundation of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP, project 2008/58104-8) and by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, project 402383/2009-5). Pérola Vasconcellos thanks INCT-Energy and Environment. The analytical work benefited from funds allocated by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) to the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) through the strategic project UID/AMB/50017/2013. Ana Vicente acknowledges the postdoc grant SFRH/BPD/88988/2012 from FCT.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Célia A. Alves, Ana M. Vicente & Sónia Rocha

  2. Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil

    Pérola Vasconcellos

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  1. Célia A. Alves
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  2. Ana M. Vicente
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  3. Sónia Rocha
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  4. Pérola Vasconcellos
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Correspondence to Célia A. Alves.

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Alves, C.A., Vicente, A.M., Rocha, S. et al. Hopanoid hydrocarbons in PM10 from road tunnels in São Paulo, Brazil. Air Qual Atmos Health 10, 799–807 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-017-0462-3

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