IDENTIFICAÇÃO DAS FONTES PRECURSORAS DE OZÔNIO NA TROPOSFERA DE SOROCABA (S.P.)

Abstract

Air Pollution is an environmental problem that has affected humans since their early days and is associated with technological development and enlargement of urban centers. The excess of pollutants in the atmosphere damages human health and vegetation and produces material degradation. Pollutants can be found in the troposphere as gases or particulate matter (aerosols: solid or liquid particles in suspension). One of the most critical pollutants in the troposphere of São Paulo State is ozone. This gas is common in hot and dry locations. This paper evaluated tropospheric ozone in Sorocaba (a city in Sao Paulo State) and identified the possible ozone formation sources in that region. By means of data analysis: (i) factories cannot be taken as sources for the critical ozone episodes in the referred to city and (ii) two main sources have created the ozone: (a) vehicle combustion and (b) burning biomass coming from regions located in quadrant WSW-NNW of Sorocaba. Key-words: Air Pollution. Ozone. Particulate matter.