Chemical characterization and source apportionment of rainwater in Cuieiras Biological Reserve, central Amazon, Brazil

Abstract

The Amazon rainforest plays a crucial role in the global climate system, acting as a major carbon sink and influencing regional and global weather patterns. Understanding the chemical composition of rainwater is essential for assessing the impact of anthropogenic activities, such as deforestation and industrial emissions, on atmospheric chemistry and hydrology. This work aimed to characterize the chemical composition of rainwater in a biological reserve of primary forest in the central Brazilian Amazon at 60 km of a large urban center. Rainwater samples were collected from March 2008 to March 2010 and were analyzed by ion chromatography, ICP-MS, and TOC-V. This is the only and longest rainfall monitoring carried out in this reserve. The results showed that the rainwater is rich in organic carbon (TOC), representing 77% of total carbon. The most abundant ions were NH4 + and Cl-. Few elements were detected, with emphasis on Al and Fe. In the dry season, most species were enriched. The lower amount of precipitation, biomass burning and the lower capacity to remove pollutants from the atmosphere are the main reasons for this seasonal difference. Only 7% had characteristics of acid rain (pH < 4.5), with acidity dominated by NO3 -. A positive matrix factorization indicated contribution of sources: crustal (48%), secondary aerosol (26%), biogenic (22%), and industrial emissions (4%). Although the forest has primary characteristics, the proximity to the urban center indicates some anthropogenic influence on the chemical composition of rainwater.