Rio Grande do Sul recorded soot precipitation along with rain last week
A preliminary analysis by the IPH (Hydraulic Research Institute) at UFRGS (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul) indicates that the rain that fell in Porto Alegre (RS) last week had changes in its chemical composition. The reason is the large amount of soot and other materials that were in the atmosphere due to the fires that are affecting Brazil.
“We found high levels of total and suspended solids, color and turbidity, up to 7 times what is expected for rainwater. These values are an indication of the poor quality of both the air that was under Porto Alegre and the water that reached the surface.”, said the IPH, quoted by MetSul Meteorology.
IPH researchers are carrying out studies to identify the presence of metals that are toxic to health in the collected water.
“We are also temporally evaluating the quality of rainwater to see if the atmospheric pollution carried with the water is decreasing, increasing or remaining the same.”, the institute declared.
According to MetSul Meteorologia, there has been precipitation of soot along with rain in Porto Alegre in recent days. This soot, also called sootis made up mainly of carbon. It is the result of the incomplete combustion of organic materials, such as fossil fuels and biomass (wood and agricultural waste, for example).
When these materials do not burn completely, they produce fine particles of black carbon and other compounds. This soot is linked to “black rain,” a phenomenon that was recorded last week in cities in Rio Grande do Sul.
According to MetSul Meteorologia, this type of rain does not necessarily precipitate in black. It is indicative of high levels of pollution. When it falls to the ground, it can affect bodies of water and vegetation.
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