RESUMO
A multi-year monitoring data set of potentially harmful elements (PHEs), which are present in the chemical composition of atmospheric settleable particulate matter (SPM) in the urban, industrial and port areas in Bahía Blanca, was studied in order to assess potential ecological risk. The selected PHEs were metal elements of local and regional environmental importance (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn). Seventeen sampling campaigns were carried out between April 2013 and September 2019. After the microwave-assisted acid digestion of samples, the total contents of the PHEs were determined by ICP-OES. The annual dry deposition rate, the indexes associated with the potential ecological risk (RI) and the degree of geo-accumulation (Igeo) of each PHE were calculated. The results indicated that: (a) there are 3 groups (I, II, III) of PHEs with differentiated concentration levels, ranked I (Pb > Zn > Cu) > II (Cr ≈ Ni) > III (Cd) (p < 0.01) in all the studied areas; (b) the median of the total deposition rate was 1 mg cm-2. month-1 with a significant relative contribution of Pb; (c) a considerable increase in geo-accumulation of Pb indicated that SPM was functioning as a sink for Pb, and also reflected a significant progressive increase in the potential ecological risk in all sites (p < 0.01); and (d) there were chemometrically identified potential sources of Pb, Cu and Zn emissions that would be associated mainly to the resuspension of dust from geogenic, industrial and urban origin, and to a lesser extent, to other gaseous emissions of the industrial sector. This work highlights three major aspects of environmental assessment: (a) the value of continuous monitoring as an important tool to detect long-term trends; (b) the importance of the role of dust fall as a useful environmental indicator of lead geo-accumulation; and (c) the great utility of geo-accumulation and potential ecological risk indices as rapid quantitative assessment tools of environmental pollution.