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The levels of total suspended particles and airborne particulate trace metals were determined in three locations. Two of these locations are in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, where the main source of pollution is vehicular traffic. The remaining location is in a suburban area characterized by industrial and vehicular emissions, as well as natural input. Enrichment factors found in the downtown area for Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd were in the interval 21-3237, indicating an important contribution of anthropogenic sources. In the suburban area, Zn levels were unusually high (596.8–5475.4 ng m−3) and may be attributed to the proximity of a company that produces lubricants and lubricant additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No abstract available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No abstract available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study which discusses various issues related to metals in airborne particulate matter in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Anthropogenic emissions are the main source of toxic trace metals in urban areas where several sources, as vehicle exhausts and energy production, release large quantities of pollutants into the atmosphere. The main pollution problem in this city are the high levels of particulate matter, which in several areas exceed the guidelines of World Health Organization, and the Brazilian air quality standards. Since the emissions and levels of trace metals and particulate matter are strongly related, the heavy metal concentrations have been determined in the study in order to characterize the air quality of the region.