The research of aerosols in the State of Bahia (Brazil)

historical notes on an interrupted project

Abstract

The research project on the Physics of atmospheric aerosols, in the State of Bahia (Brazil) developed in the beginning of the 1970’s by a group of researchers of the Laboratory of Weak Radioactivities (current Laboratory of Applied Nuclear Physics), of the IF-UFBa, aims to analyze the possible causes that had induced its discontinuity later. It is noticeable the importance of that research, which had been precursory in Brazil in the search of a systematic study of the origin and chemical composition of atmospheric precipitations in the region of Recôncavo and at the Basin of the Paraguaçu-Bahia. One another excellent aspect of that would be the possibility of comparing the experimental data in the future, which would serve as a story of the evolution of the environment conditions.

The aim of the present work is to discuss some aspects that contributed to the complete deactivation of the aerosols’ research group, as well as, to some facts that had perhaps led all its members to given it up and move to other research areas, despite the well-known relevance of the mentioned project.