Investigating the Influence of the Transport of Sea Spray on the Salinization of the Semiarid Region Waters (Bahia, Brazil)

In this work, the rainwater and the atmospheric particulate matter were characterized by investigating
the presence of sea spray in the atmosphere of the semiarid region of Bahia, Brazil, aiming to study
the influence of its transport on the salinization of the waters of the region. Stable isotopes of
deuterium and oxygen-18 were also determined in the rain as environmental tracers, evaluating the
isotopic ratios 18O/16O and D/H. Atmospheric deposition is one of the main stages of the cycling and
redistribution of the various chemical elements on the earth’s surface. The atmosphere of the region
suffers significant marine influence, as well as resuspended soil particles and anthropogenic sources.
The results demonstrate that the amount of sea spray which reaches the region is insufficient to
interfere at the groundwater composition and the cause of its salinization should be attributed to the
local geology and the evaporation and salt concentration process due to the high temperatures found
in the region.