The group is interested in studying the atmospheric chemistry of organic and inorganic species identified in aerosols collected in urban and forest areas. The main focus is obtaining chemical markers for biomass burning and other emissions and, to associate the aerosol composition with impacts on health.

According to the World Health Organization, a large part of the world's population lives in places where the recommended air quality standards are not achieved.

Atmospheric aerosol is a complex mixture, including inorganic species (water-soluble ions and element oxides) and carbonaceous species, such as elemental and organic carbon, some of them with toxic properties, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The Group of Studies on Atmospheric Chemistry determines more than 150 atmospheric species to characterize air chemical composition. Associations with weather conditions and long-range transport are also investigated and the adoption of receptor models is performed to study the contribution of emission sources. The group aims to study markers for biomass burning and other emissions and, to associate the aerosol composition with impacts on health. For this, diagnostic ratios and oxidative potential are calculated for samples collected in urban and forest areas.

Other environments also are studied in this group like water and soil pollution.