Source apportionment and health impact assessment of atmospheric particulate matter in the city of São Carlos, Brazil

In this study, positive matrix factorization method was used for source apportionment of PM10 in the city of São Carlos from 2015 to 2018. The annual mean concentrations of PM10, 15 PAHs, 4 oxy-PAHs, 6 nitro-PAHs, 21 saccharides, and 17 ions in these samples were in the ranges 18.1 ± 6.99 to 25.0 ± 11.3 μg m−3 for PM10, 9.80 × 10−1 ± 2.06 to 2.03 ± 8.54 × 10−1 ng m−3 for ΣPAHs, 83.9 ± 35.7 to 683 ± 521 pg m−3 for Σoxy-PAHs, 1.79 × 10−2 ± 1.23 × 10−1 to 7.12 ± 4.90 ng m−3 for Σnitro-PAHs, 83.3 ± 44.7 to 142 ± 85.9 ng m−3 for Σsaccharides, and 3.80 ± 1.54 to 5.66 ± 4.52 μg m−3 for Σions. For most species, the concentrations were higher in the dry season than in the rainy. This was related not only to the low rainfall and relative humidity characteristic of the dry season but also to an increase in fire spots recorded in the region between April and September every year from 2015 to 2018. A 4-factor solution provided the best description of the dataset, with the four identified sources of PM10 being soil resuspension (28%), biogenic emissions (27%), biomass burning (27%), and vehicle exhaust together with secondary PM (18%). Although the PM10 concentrations were not above the limit established by local legislation, the epidemiological study showed that by reducing PM2.5 concentrations to the level recommended by the WHO, approximately 35 premature deaths per 100,000 population could be avoided annually. The results revealed that biomass burning continues to be one of the main anthropic sources of emissions to the atmosphere in the region, so it needs to be incorporated into the existing guidelines and policies to reduce the concentration of particulate matter to within the limits recommended by the WHO, in order to avoid premature deaths. [Display omitted] •Premature deaths in São Carlos city could be avoided by reducing air pollution.•The effect of air pollution on health was studied in an epidemiological assessment.•Biomass burning is one of the main anthropic sources of particles in the region.•The other sources were soil, biogenic and vehicle exhaust with secondary aerosols.•Median concentrations of most analytes were higher in dry than in the rainy season.