Surface Methane Concentration Measurements in Regions Under Direct Influence of Methane Sources

Abstract

Some results of methane concentrations are shown for sites which are under direct influence of methane sources as São Paulo city and Barão de Melgaço, a site inside the Pantanal region. The methane concentration average value for 16 samples collected inside and/or outside some tunnels during January, 1993 in São Paulo city was 2014 ppbv with a standard deviation of 143 ppbv which represents 7,lTo of the average value. For Barão de Melgaço located in the legion of the Pantanal of Mato Grosso the methane concentration average value for 14 samples collected at the end of September 1992 during field work of four days was 2399 ppbv with a standard deviation of 723 ppbv which represents 30% of the average value. The above methane concentration average values show that the Pantanal region represents a methane source of comparable strength to a large urban region like São Paulo city (12 million inhabitants).