Variação da qualidade da água do escoamento superficial de duas bacias de drenagem de Natal/RN - Brasil

The urban drainage is one of the powers of environmental sanitation and its scope is the quantitative and qualitative aspects. In decision making of managers and the engineering aspects of design are almost always taken into account only the quantitative aspects. However, the waters of the runoff have the highest concentrations of pollutants at the beginning of precipitation. Thus, if the plot pollution removed, the remaining portion can be used for other purposes. This work has aimed to present the variation of water quality of two drainage basins in the city of Natal / RN-Brazil to support the implementation of drainage to consider the qualitative aspect, and identify potential for the use of water. The basins (M and C) are analyzed closed-type, are in the urban area, are predominantly residential occupation and its waters are used for detention ponds and infiltration. The samples were divided into three phases, the first two direct to final points in a basin and the third in traps distributed over the surface drainage. The parameters had been analyzed were pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, Color, Turbidity, COD, Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, total phosphorus, orthophosphate, Sediments solids, total solids, chloride, sulfate, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, Heavy Metals (Chromium, Cadmium, Lead, Zinc and Copper), Eschichia coli and total coliforms. The parameters studied showed high initial pollution load, events and located in different proportions, except nitrite, heavy metals and biological indicators. The size of the surface drainage and topographic its features influence the quality of water. However, the form of sampling is crucial in the qualitative study in the basin. The samplers developed at work, were generated economic and representative results. The urban rainwater presents organic faecal indicators. The runoff of water from both basins shows no risk of salinity and sodicity for use in irrigation, should be noted the content of chloride in the choice of method of irrigation

Determinação da concentração de metais no material particulado (PM10 e PM2,5) do ar atmosférico em uma área urbana da cidade do Natal – RN

This study aimed to assess ambient air quality in a urban area of Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte (latitude 5º49'29 '' S and longitude 35º13'34'' W), aiming to determine the metals concentration in particulate matter (PM10 and PM2,5) of atmospheric air in the urban area o the Natal city. The sampling period for the study consisted of data acquisition from January to December 2012. Samples were collected on glass fiber filters by means of two large volumes samplers, one for PM2,5 (AGV PM 2,5) and another for PM10 (PM10 AGV). Monthly averages ranged from 8.92 to 19.80 g.m-3 , where the annual average was 16,21 g.m-3 for PM10 and PM2,5 monthly averages ranged from 2,84 to 7,89 g.m -3 , with an annual average of 5,61 g.m-3 . The results of PM2,5 and PM10 concentrations were related meteorological variables and for information on the effects of these variables on the concentration of PM, an exploratory analysis of the data using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed. The results of the PCA showed that with increasing barometric pressure, the direction of the winds, the rainfall and relative humidity decreases the concentration of PM and the variable weekday little influence compared the meteorological variables. Filters containing particulate matter were selected in six days and subjected to microwave digestion. After digestion samples were analyzed by with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The concentrations for heavy metals Vanadium, Chromium, Manganese, Nickel, Copper, Arsenic and lead were determined. The highest concentrations of metals were for Pb and Cu, whose average PM10 values were, respectively, 5,34 and 2,34 ng.m-3 and PM2,5 4,68 and 2,95 ng.m-3 . Concentrations for metals V, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Cd were respectively 0,13, 0,39, 0,48, 0,45 and 0,03 ng.m-3 for PM10 fraction and PM2,5 fraction, 0,05, 0,10, 0,10, 0,34 and 0,01 ng.m-3. The concentration for As was null for the two fractions