Abstract. This paper evaluates the contributions of the emissions from mobile, stationary and biogenic sources on air pollution in the Amazon rainforest by using the Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model. The analyzed air pollutants were CO, NO x , SO 2 , O 3 , PM 2.5 , PM 10 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Five scenarios were defined in order to evaluate the emissions by biogenic, mobile and stationary sources, as well as a future scenario to assess the potential air quality impact of doubled anthropogenic emissions. The stationary sources explain the highest concentrations for all air pollutants evaluated, except for CO, for which the mobile sources are predominant. The anthropogenic sources considered resulted an increasing in the spatial peak-temporal average concentrations of pollutants in 3 to 2780 times in relation to those with only biogenic sources. The future scenario showed an increase in the range of 3 to 62 % in average concentrations and 45 to 109 % in peak concentrations depending on the pollutant. In addition, the spatial distributions of the scenarios has shown that the air pollution plume from the city of Manaus is predominantly transported west and southwest, and it can reach hundreds of kilometers in length.
Land cover classification is one of the main components of the modern weather research and forecasting models, which can influence the meteorological variable, and in turn the concentration of air pollutants. In this study the impact of using two traditional land use classifications, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), were evaluated. The Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF, version 3.2.1) was run for the period 18 -22 August, 2014 (dry season) at a grid spacing of 3 km centered on the city of Manaus. The comparison between simulated and ground-based observed data revealed significant differences in the meteorological fields, for instance, the temperature. Compared to USGS, MODIS classification showed better skill in representing observed temperature for urban areas of Manaus, while the two files showed similar results for nearby areas. The analysis of the files suggests that the better quality of the simulations favorable to the MODIS file is straightly related to its better representation of urban class of land use, which is observed to be not adequately represented by USGS.
Sugar cane bagasse is one of the largest fuels used for electricity generation in Brazil and its usage has continuously increased to supply the energy demand. This paper presents emission inventory based on power plants burning sugar cane bagasse. The inventory involves the spatial distribution and the estimated flows for the following major pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate material (PM), carbon dioxide (CO2) and total organic carbon (TOC). A total of 384 power plants were inventoried, representing a generated power of 9.9 GW, about 26% of the energy produced by thermal power plants sector. The plants are concentrated in two main poles: one of them in São Paulo State and nearby areas and the other one in coast of Brazilian Northeast. The limits proposed by the AP-42 Regulations of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for the emission factors were applied. Additional emission factors identified in the scientific literature were also included in the analysis in order to assess the uncertainties associated to the estimative. The estimated emissions showed values in the range 16.0-20.5 Gg•year −1 for NOx, 18.0-267.0 Gg•year −1 for MP and 20.5-26.7 Tg•year −1 for CO2. The contribution of TOC showed a minor contribution around 10-20 Mg•year −1. PM showed to be the most representative pollutant emitted by the thermal plants burning sugar cane bagasse, but with a large range of uncertainty. There is a high level of uncertainty associated to the preparation of cane as well as the use of collectors to control particulate emissions. The adequate control over all stages could reduce the bagasse ash content in 90% or more.
The cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) crop is relevant for human livelihoods, particularly in poorer regions. It is consumed fresh or as industrialized flour, and the roots and aerial parts are also used to feed livestock. Pests may limit cassava production, which may endanger food security due to the socioeconomic importance of the crop. Reports of the occurrence of three insect guilds, lace bugs, shoot flies, and whiteflies have been recorded in Paraná State, Brazil, but the distinct species and their distribution are yet to be determined. This lack of information limits the development of strategies to mitigate pest damage. Surveys were conducted in 39 counties (four farms per county) distributed throughout the state that encompass the various socioeconomic regions. The collected material was properly packed and sent to the laboratory for identification, and the following species were identified: lace bugs Vatiga illudens Drake, 1922 and Vatiga manihotae Drake, 1922 (both Hemiptera: Tingidae); whiteflies Bemisia tuberculata (Bondar, 1923) and Aleurothrixus aepim (Goeldi, 1886) (both Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and the cassava shoot fly Neosilba perezi Romero & Ruppel, 1973 (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) in Paraná State. Lace bugs were not found in the samples in the eastern and southern portions of the state. V. illudens was more widespread than V. manihotae. The whitefly A. aepim was not observed in three counties (eastern, southern, and central regions), whereas B. tuberculata and the cassava shoot fly were found in all regions sampled in Paraná State. Suggestions for future investigations of pest management are proposed.
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