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Seasonal trends of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide over North Santa Clara, Cuba

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Abstract

Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels were monitored simultaneously by means of Radiello passive samplers at six sites of Santa Clara city, Cuba, in the cold and the warm seasons in 2010. The dissolved ionic forms of NO2 and SO2 as nitrate and sulfite plus sulfate, respectively, were determined by means of ion chromatography. Analysis of NO2 as nitrite was also performed by UV–Vis spectrophotometry. For NO2, significant t tests show good agreement between the results of IC and UV–Vis methods. The NO2 and SO2 concentrations peaked in the cold season, while their minimum levels were experienced in the warm season. The pollutant levels do not exceed the maximum allowable limit of the Cuban Standard 39:1999, i.e., 40 μg/m3 and 50 μg/m3 for NO2 and SO2, respectively. The lowest pollutant concentrations obtained in the warm season can be attributed to an increase in their removal via precipitation (scavenging) while to the decreased traffic density and industrial emission during the summer holidays (e.g., July and August).

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Abbreviations

NO2 :

Nitrogen dioxide

SO2 :

Sulfur dioxide

NOx:

Nitrogen oxides

NO:

Nitrogen monoxide

O3 :

Ozone

HNO3 :

Nitric acid

HNO2 :

Nitrous acid

PAN:

Peroxyacetyl nitrate

SO3 :

Sulfur trioxide

H2SO3 :

Sulfurous acid

H2SO4 :

Sulfuric acid

IC:

Ion chromatography

RH:

Relative humidity

WD:

Wind direction

T:

Temperature

P:

Pressure

WS:

Wind speed

WD:

Wind direction

SD:

Standard deviation

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Acknowledgment

The present work was supported by the VLIR Program, Project 7 (Environmental Education and Development of Clean Technologies), University of Antwerp, Belgium.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Química, Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní Km 5.5, Santa Clara, Cuba

    Daniellys Alejo & Jorge B. de la Torre

  2. Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní Km 5.5, Santa Clara, Cuba

    Mayra C. Morales

  3. Centro de Estudio de Informática, Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní Km 5.5, Santa Clara, Cuba

    Ricardo Grau

  4. Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium

    László Bencs, René Van Grieken & Piet Van Espen

  5. Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 49, 1525, Budapest, Hungary

    László Bencs

  6. Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Carretera a Castillo de Jagua Km ½, Ciudad Nuclear, Cienfuegos, Cuba

    Dismey Sosa

  7. Centro Meteorológico Provincial de Villa Clara, Marta Abreu No. 57 (altos) e/ J.B. Zayas y Villuendas, Santa Clara, Cuba

    Vladimir Nuñez

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  1. Daniellys Alejo
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  2. Mayra C. Morales
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  9. Vladimir Nuñez
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Correspondence to Daniellys Alejo.

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Alejo, D., Morales, M.C., de la Torre, J.B. et al. Seasonal trends of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide over North Santa Clara, Cuba. Environ Monit Assess 185, 6023–6033 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-3003-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-3003-4

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