Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A two decades study on ozone variability and trend over the main urban areas of the São Paulo state, Brazil

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the variability of the ozone concentration over São Paulo Macrometropolis, as well the factors, which determined the tendency observed in the last two decades. Time series of hourly ozone concentrations measured at 16 automated stations from an air quality network from 1996 to 2017 were analyzed. The temporal variability of ozone concentrations exhibits well-defined daily and seasonal patterns. Ozone presents a significant positive correlation between the number of cases (thresholds of 100–160 μg m−3) and the fuel sales of gasohol and diesel. The ozone concentrations do not exhibit significant long-term trends, but some sites present positive trends that occurs in sites in the proximity of busy roads and negative trends that occurs in sites located in residential areas or next to trees. The effect of atmospheric process of transport and ozone formation was analyzed using a quantile regression model (QRM). This statistical model can deal with the nonlinearities that appear in the relationship of ozone and other variables and is applicable to time series with non-normal distribution. The resulting model explains 0.76% of the ozone concentration variability (with global coefficient of determination R1 = 0.76) providing a better representation than an ordinary least square regression model (with coefficient of determination R2 = 0.52); the effect of radiation and temperature are the most critical in determining the highest ozone quantiles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ainsworth EA (2017) Understanding and improving global crop response to ozone pollution. Plant J 90(5):886–897

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ALESP (2013) Decreto n° 59.113 , de 23/04/2013. 2013.

  • Alvim DS, Gatti LV, Corrêa SM, Chiquetto JB, Santos GM, Rossatti CS, Pretto A, Rozante JR, Figueroa SN, Pendharkar J, Nobre P (2018) Determining VOCs Reactivity for Ozone Forming Potential in the Megacity of São Paulo. Aerosol Air Qual Res 18:2460–2474

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson H, Atkinson R, Peacock J, Marston L, Konstantinou K (2004) Meta-analysis of time-series studies and panel studies of particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O3). Rep a WHO Task Gr. 1–68. Available from: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&btnG=Search&q=intitle: Meta-analysis+of+timeseries+studies+and+panel+studies+of+Particulate+Matter+(+PM+)+and+Ozone+(+O+3+)#0

  • Andrade, M., Miranda, R. M., Fornaro, A., Kerr, A., Oyama, B., Andre, P. A., & Saldiva, P. (2012). Vehicle emissions and PM 2.5 mass concentrations in six Brazilian cities. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 5(1):79–88

  • Andrade MF, Kumar P, Freitas ED, Ynoue RY, Martins J, Martins LD, Nogueira T, Perez-Martinez P, de Miranda RM, Albuquerque T, Gonçalves FLT, Oyama B, Zhang Y (2017) Air quality in the megacity of São Paulo: Evolution over the last 30 years and future perspectives. Atmos Environ 159:66–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arjomandi M, Balmes JR, Frampton MW, Bromberg P, Rich DQ, Stark P, Alexis NE, Costantini M, Hollenbeck-Pringle D, Dagincourt N, Hazucha MJ (2018) Respiratory Responses to Ozone Exposure. MOSES (The Multicenter Ozone Study in Older Subjects). Am J Respir Crit Care Med 197(10):1319–1327

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Balajee Karthik L, Babu Sujith, Suliankatchi Rizwan A, Meena Sehgal, (2017) Characteristics of the Ozone Pollution and its Health Effects in India. International Journal of Medicine and Public Health 7(1):56–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baur D, Saisana M, Schulze N (2004) Modelling the effects of meteorological variables on ozone concentration—a quantile regression approach. Atmos Environ 38:4689–4699

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bluestein HB (1992) Synoptic-dynamic meteorology in midlatitudes: Volume 1, principles of kinematics and dynamics

  • Brito J, Wurm F, Yáñez-Serrano AM, de Assunção JV, Godoy JM, Artaxo P (2015) Vehicular Emission Ratios of VOCs in a Megacity Impacted by Extensive Ethanol Use: Results of Ambient Measurements in São Paulo, Brazil. Environ Sci Technol 49:11381–11387

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Capotondi A, Wittenberg AT, Newman M, Di Lorenzo E, Yu J, Braconnot P, Cole J, Dewitte B, Giese B, Guilyardi E, Jin F, Karnauskas K, Kirtman B, Lee T, Schneider N, Xue Y, Yeh S (2015) Understanding ENSO Diversity. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 96:921–938

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter, W. P. (1994). Development of ozone reactivity scales for volatile organic compounds. Air & waste, 44(7):881–899

  • Carvalho VSB, Freitas ED, Martins LD, Martins JA, Mazzoli CR, Andrade MF (2015) Air quality status and trends over the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo, Brazil as a result of emission control policies. Environ Sci Pol 47:68–79

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CETESB (2014) Qualidade do ar no estado de São Paulo, 2013. In Série Relatórios 110

  • CETESB (2018) QUALAR - Automatic air-quality monitoring stations network. CETESB

  • Conover WJ (1980) Practical Nonparametric Statistics

  • CONSELHO NACIONAL DO MEIO AMBIENTE (2018) Resolução CONAMA Nº 491/2018

  • CONSELHO NACIONAL DO MEIO AMBIENTE (1990) Resolução CONAMA Nº 003/90

  • Di Q, Dai L, Wang Y, Zanobetti A, Choirat C, Schwartz JD, Dominici F (2017) Association of short-term exposure to air pollution with mortality in older adults. Jama 318(24):2446–2456

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dominutti PA, Nogueira T, Borbon A, Andrade MdF, Fornaro A (2016) Atmos Environ 142:371–382

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EPA (1996) United States Environmental Agency (US-EPA): Code of Federal Regulation, Ambiente Air Surveillance. Ed. 1996

  • ESRL (2018) Climate Indices: Monthly Atmospheric and Ocean Time Series

  • Felzer BS, Cronin T, Reilly JM, Melillo JM, Wang X (2007) Impacts of ozone on trees and crops. Compt Rendus Geosci 339(11-12):784–798

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Freitas ED, Rozoff CM, Cotton WR, Dias PLS (2007) Interactions of an urban heat island and sea-breeze circulations during winter over the metropolitan area of São Paulo, Brazil. Bound-Layer Meteorol 122:43–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujita EM, Campbell DE, Zielinska B, Sagebiel JC, Bowen JL, Goliff WS, Stockwell WR, Lawson DR (2003) Diurnal and weekday variations in the source contributions of ozone precursors in California’s South Coast Air Basin. J Air Waste Manage Assoc 53(7):844–863

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaffney JS, Marley NA (2009) The impacts of combustion emissions on air quality and climate – From coal to biofuels and beyond. Atmos Environ 43:23–36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giroldo MB, Werninghaus E, Coelho E, Makant W (2005) Development of 1.6 L flex fuel engine for Brazilian market. SAE International

  • Goodman JE, Zu K, Loftus CT, Lynch HN, Prueitt RL, Mohar I, Shubin SP, Sax SN (2018) Short-term ozone exposure and asthma severity: Weight-of-evidence analysis. Environ Res 160:391–397

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grivas G, Dimakopoulou K, Samoli E, Papakosta D, Karakatsani A, Katsouyanni K, Chaloulakou A (2017) Ozone exposure assessment for children in Greece - Results from the RESPOZE study. Sci Total Environ 581-582:518–529

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Helsel DR, Hirsch RM (2002) Statistical Methods in Water Resources. Techniques of Water Resources Investigations, Book 4, Chapter A3., US Geological Survey

  • Holton JR (2004) An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology, Academic Press

  • Hwang B, Chen Y, Lin Y, Wu X, Leo Lee Y (2015) Relationship between exposure to fine particulates and ozone and reduced lung function in children. Environ Res 137:382–390

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • IAG (2018) Weather Station's Bulletin

  • IBAMA (2011) Manual PROCONVE/PROMOT

  • IBGE (2018) Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Diretoria de Pesquisas. Coordenação de População e Indicadores Sociais. Estimativas da população residente para os municípios e para as unidades da federação com data de referência em 1º de julho de. https://biblioteca.ibge.gov.br/visualizacao/livros/liv101609.pdf Accessed 2 Dec 2018

  • Ibarra-Espinosa S, Ynoue R, O'Sullivan S, Pebesma E, Andrade MDF, Osses M (2018) VEIN v0.2.2: an R package for bottom–up vehicular emissions inventories. Geosci Model Dev 11:2209–2229

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobson MZ (2005) Fundamentals of Atmospheric Modeling, Cambridge University Press, USA

  • Koenker R, d’Orey V (1987) Computing regression quantiles. Appl Stat 36:383–393

  • Koenker R, Machado JAF (1999) Goodness of Fit and Related Inference Processes for Quantile Regression. J Am Stat Assoc 94:1296–1310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krzyzanowski M, Cohen A (2008) Update of WHO air quality guidelines. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health 1(1):7–13

  • Künzli N, Kaiser R, Medina S, Studnicka M, Chanel O, Filliger P, Herry M, Horak F, Puybonnieux-Texier V, Quénel P, Schneider J, Seethaler R, Vergnaud JC, Sommer H (2000) Public-health impact of outdoor and traffic-related air pollution: a European assessment. Lancet 356:795–801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landrigan PJ, Fuller R, Acosta NJR, Adeyi O, Arnold R, Basu N, Baldé AB, Bertollini R, Bose-O'Reilly S, Boufford JI, Breysse PN, Chiles T, Mahidol C, Coll-Seck AM, Cropper ML, Fobil J, Fuster V, Greenstone M, Haines A, Hanrahan D, Hunter D, Khare M, Krupnick A, Lanphear B, Lohani B, Martin K, Mathiasen KV, McTeer MA, Murray CJL, Ndahimananjara JD, Perera F, Potočnik J, Preker AS, Ramesh J, Rockström J, Salinas C, Samson LD, Sandilya K, Sly PD, Smith KR, Steiner A, Stewart RB, Suk WA, van Schayck OCP, Yadama GN, Yumkella K, Zhong M (2018) The Lancet Commission on pollution and health. Lancet 391:462–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leila Droprinchinski Martins, Caroline Fernanda Hei Wikuats, Mauricio Nonato Capucim, Daniela S. de Almeida, Silvano Cesar da Costa, Taciana Albuquerque, Vanessa Silveira Barreto Carvalho, Edmilson Dias de Freitas, Maria de Fátima Andrade, Jorge Alberto Martins, (2017) Extreme value analysis of air pollution data and their comparison between two large urban regions of South America. Weather and Climate Extremes 18:44–54

  • Leiva MA, Santibañez DA, Ibarra S, Matus P, Seguel R (2013) A five-year study of particulate matter (PM2.5) and cerebrovascular diseases. Environ Pollut 181:1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levy JI, Chemerynski SM, Sarnat JA (2005) Ozone Exposure and Mortality. Epidemiology 16:458–468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mantua NJ, Hare SR, Zhang Y, Wallace JM, Francis RC (1997) A Pacific Interdecadal Climate Oscillation with Impacts on Salmon Production. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 78:1069–1079

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martins LD, Andrade MdF, Ynoue RY, Albuquerque ÉL d, Tomaz E, Vasconcellos P d C (2008) Ambiental volatile organic compounds in the megacity of São Paulo. Química Nova 31(8):2009–2013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Monn C (2001) Exposure assessment of air pollutants: a review on spatial heterogeneity and indoor/outdoor/personal exposure to suspended particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Atmos Environ 35:1–32

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair KN, Freitas ED, Sanchez-Ccoyllo OR, Dias M, Dias PLS, Andrade MF, Massambani O (2004) Dynamics of urban boundary layer over São Paulo associated with mesoscale processes. Meteorog Atmos Phys 86:87–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nogueira T, Dominutti PA, de Carvalho LRF, Fornaro A, & de Fatima Andrade M (2014) Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde measurements in urban atmosphere impacted by the use of ethanol biofuel: Metropolitan Area of Sao Paulo (MASP), Fuel 134:505–513

  • Nogueira T, Souza KF d, Fornaro A, Andrade M d F, Carvalho LRF d (2015) On-road emissions of carbonyls from vehicles powered by biofuel blends in traffic tunnels in the Metropolitan Area of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Atmos Environ 108:88–97

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Orlando JP, Alvim DS, Yamazaki A, Corrêa SM, Gatti LV (2010) Ozone precursors for the São Paulo metropolitan area. Sci Total Environ 408(7):1612–1620

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Martínez PJ, Andrade MF, Miranda RM (2015) Traffic-related air quality trends in São Paulo, Brazil. J Geophys Res-Atmos 120:6290–6304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pope IC, Burnett RT, Thun MJ et al (2002) Lung Cancer, Cardiopulmonary Mortality, and Long-term Exposure to Fine Particulate Air Pollution. JAMA 287:1132–1141

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qin Y, Tonnesen GS, Wang Z (2004) Weekend/weekday differences of ozone, NOx, Co, VOCs, PM10 and the light scatter during ozone season in southern California. Atmos Environ 38:3069–3087

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reimann C, Filzmoser P, Garrett R Dutter R (2008) Statistical Data Analysis Explained: Applied Environmental Statistics with R, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  • Rosiberto Salustiano da Silva Júnior, Marcio Gledson Lopes de Oliveira, Maria de Fátima Andrade, (2009) Weekend/weekday differences in concentrations of ozone, nox, and non-methane hydrocarbon in the metropolitan area of São Paulo. Revista Brasileira de Meteorologia 24(1):100–110

  • Stull RB (1988) An introduction to boundary layer meteorology. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Theil H (1992) A rank-invariant method of linear and polynomial regression analysis. In: Raj B, Koerts J (eds) Henri Theil’s Contributions to Economics and Econometrics: Econometric Theory and Methodology. Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, pp 345–381

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • van Zelm R, Huijbregts MAJ, den Hollander HA, van Jaarsveld HA, Sauter FJ, Struijs J, van Wijnen HJ, van de Meent D (2008) European characterization factors for human health damage of PM10 and ozone in life cycle impact assessment. Atmos Environ 42:441–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weschler CJ (2006) Ozone’s Impact on Public Health: Contributions from Indoor Exposures to Ozone and Products of Ozone-Initiated Chemistry. Environ Health Perspect 114:1489–1496

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO (2000) Air quality guidelines for Europe. In WHO Regional Publications, European Series, No. 91

  • WHO (2016) Ambient air pollution: a global assessment of exposure and burden of disease

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the São Paulo State Environmental Agency (CETESB) for the air quality data used in this work and to IAG Weather Station (www.estacao.iag.usp.br) for the meteorological data provided.

Funding

The authors would like to thank to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) for the financial support and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [CNPq]) processes /2018-0 and 306862/2018-2.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG), Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Daniel Schuch, Edmilson Dias de Freitas, Sergio Ibarra Espinosa, Bruna Ferreira Ramin, Jayne Sousa Silva & Maria de Fatima Andrade

  2. Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil

    Leila Droprinchinski Martins & Jorge Alberto Martins

  3. Universidade Federal de Itajubá, Itajubá, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Vanessa Silveira Barreto Carvalho

Authors
  1. Daniel Schuch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Edmilson Dias de Freitas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sergio Ibarra Espinosa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Leila Droprinchinski Martins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Vanessa Silveira Barreto Carvalho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Bruna Ferreira Ramin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jayne Sousa Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Jorge Alberto Martins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Maria de Fatima Andrade
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel Schuch.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Gerhard Lammel

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Schuch, D., de Freitas, E.D., Espinosa, S.I. et al. A two decades study on ozone variability and trend over the main urban areas of the São Paulo state, Brazil. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 31699–31716 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06200-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06200-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation