Abstract :

The atmospheric pollution in Estarreja is a matter of concern, and its impacts on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, as well as on human health, are still unknown. A previous project studied the chemical composition of rainwater in Estarreja and identified that local rainwater contains some contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals, with higher content at the industrial area than at a nearby background site, suggesting that industrial area may be a focus of contaminant emissions. The present project intends to evaluate whether five years later the industrial activities in Estarreja continues contributing for the emission of contaminants into the atmosphere, namely PAHs, metals and ionic constituents, which are then removed by precipitation. Thus, rainwater samples will be collected during one year simultaneously in different sites at the industrial area, and in an industrial background. The results from this study will be important to understand the sources of contamination in the industrial area of Estarreja, and to evaluate space-time changes, as well as the impacts of the contaminants on the environment and human beings (since rainwater is a way of availability of freshwater). In addition, the results will contribute to adopt strategies to reduce emissions of air pollutants, and to mitigate adverse effects to the environment and human health.