Vegetation Burning in Pampa Biome Altered the Chemical Composition of Rainfall

ABSTRACT

Rainfall is one of the primary nutrient inputs to vegetation and its chemical composition is dependent on air quality as falling rain scavenges gaseous and particulate emissions from natural, industrial, and agricultural activities. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the vegetation burn in a region of the Pampa biome influences the pH and chemical composition (anions) in incident rainfall. Nitrate, sulfate, and chloride concentrations, as well as the pH of the rainwater, were influenced by suspended particles in the atmosphere from biomass burning of native grassland and pasture renewal. The rainwater was acidified by, ash, and soot, which introduced large amounts of chloride and sulfate into the ecosystems caused by burning vegetation.

Keywords:
rainwater acidification; anions; atmospheric pollution