Chemical characterization of PM from region highly impacted by hailstorms in South America.

The chemical composition of particulate material plays an important role in the atmosphere, providing cloud and ice nuclei for storm development. This study aims to evaluate and infer the sources of ions, metals, and metalloids in the fine atmospheric particulate matter (PM) from triple border Paraná, Santa Catarina (Brazil), and northeastern Argentina, which is among those with the highest hail incidence in the world. Among the ions, the concentrations presented the following sequence in decreasing order: [Formula: see text]> K> [Formula: see text]> [Formula: see text]> Ca> Cl> Na> Mg.