Chemical Composition of Bulk Precipitation and Its Toxicity Potential Index in the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey, Northeastern Mexico

Abstract

The rainwater chemistry within the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey (MAM) was studied during a one-year period (January 2019–January 2020) in seven sampling sites. The metal concentration of Zn, Fe, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Mn was analyzed in bulk samples and the toxicity potential (TP) was calculated for each metal. A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied to identify the relationship between environmental variables and metals concentrations. An average of 26.6 ± 10 mm of rainfall was obtained. A mean pH of 7.2 ± 0.3 and a mean electrical conductivity of 177.8 ± 8.7 µS cm−1 were observed. The average concentration of metals in all sites follows a descending order of Fe> Zn > Mn > Cu > Ni > Cd. The university site shows the highest averages of Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn, which is attributed to its proximity to the metallurgical industry. The TP value of Cd reflects a risk in all sites and Fe only for the Universidad, Obispado, Pastora, and Santa Catarina sites, using as a reference value the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Drinking Water Regulations and Mexican norm NOM-127-SSA1-1994. The CCA analysis showed that only Ni and Cd had a strong correlation with the environmental variable of relative humidity of air.

Keywords

• rainwater chemistry
• toxicity potential
• pollution
• Metropolitan Area of Monterrey