Water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) makes up a large mass fraction of the organic carbon in the aerosol and can influence important cloud processes in the atmosphere. The capacity of WSOC to form metallic complexes with transition metals is well known; however, its influence on the aerosol of urban areas in the Amazon region is not very well known. In this study, we investigated the relationship between WSOC, black carbon (BC), levoglucosan (LEV) and transition metals (Fe, Cu and Mn) present in the PM2.5 (particles with a diameter smaller than 2.5 µm) of an urban environment during the dry season in the central Amazon. Oxalic acid (C2) was used to identify the influence of transition metals on WSOC. The mean mass concentration value of the PM2.5 was 14.72 μg m-3 (2.11-31.68 μg m-3). The WSOC made up 58.34% of the PM2.5 mass, followed by BC (20.28%), and LEV (2.62%). The WSOC showed significant correlation with the transition metals analyzed (> 0.56), especially Mn with C2 (linear coefficient (R2) = 0.74). A multiple linear regression with WSOC, BC and LEV showed a strong linear correlation between them (R2 = 0.86), indicating the influence of biomass burning and vehicle traffic on the organic aerosol.

Intensive use of asphalt generates pollutants into the atmosphere which are harmful to the environment and worrying for occupational health. The application of asphalt products leads to emissions of significant concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and particulate matter (PM) to the atmosphere. This paper aims to assess the pollutant emissions into the atmosphere in real conditions of asphalt paving through sampling and quantification of PM, Black Carbon (BC) and PAHs in fine particulate fraction and PAHs in gas phase. Concentration intervals of PM1.0, PM2.5, BC1.0 and BC2.5 found during a highway reconstruction in Londrina/PR were respectively 5.6-20.5; 6.3-24.2; 2.0-6.8 and 1.8-6.5 µg m-3. During asphalt surfacing at the same city’s central bus station, the concentration intervals were 15.1-75.1; 19.7-150; 5.1-14.6 and 4.9-16.2 µg m-3 for PM1.0, PM2.5, BC1.0 and BC2.5, respectively. PAHs in the gas and PM fractions were found in both situations with higher concentrations in the gas phase. The results of this work can provide useful information to society in order to improve practices and promote lower environmental impact and health protection.