Wintertime wet and dry deposition in northern Michigan

Wet and dry deposition were monitored at the University of Michigan Biological Station in rural northern Michigan for three winters. Dry deposition was measured by both the conventional bucket method and by measuring increases in concentration in exposed, elevated snow samples. Average results of the two methods were in reasonable agreement. The cumulative wet and dry deposition quantities are in good agreement with snowpack accumulations until the first thaw period. Dry deposition to snow accounts for less than 15% of the total H⁺, SO²⁻₄, NO⁻₃ and NH⁺₄ and approximately 25% of the Ca ²⁺, Mg ²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺ and Cl⁻ during an average precipitation year. Snowpack measurements were also made under deciduous and red pine canopies. Decreases in H⁺ and NO⁻₃ were observed under the red pine canopy.     

Overall elemental dry deposition velocities measured around Lake Michigan

Overall dry deposition velocities of several elements were determined by dividing measured fluxes by measured airborne concentrations in different particle size ranges. The dry deposition measurements were made with a smooth surrogate surface on an automated dry deposition sampler (Eagle II) and the ambient particle concentrations were measured with a dichotomous sampler. These long-term measurements were made in Chicago, IL, South Haven, MI, and Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI, from December 1993 through October 1995 as part of the Lake Michigan Mass Balance Study. In general, the dry deposition fluxes of elements were highly correlated with coarse particle concentrations, slightly less well correlated with total particle concentrations, and least well correlated with fine particle concentrations. The calculated overall dry deposition velocities obtained using coarse particle concentrations varied from approximately 12 cm s⁻¹ for Mg in Chicago to 0.2 cm s⁻¹ for some primarily anthropogenic metals at the more remote sites. The velocities calculated using total particle concentrations were slightly lower. The crustal elements (Mg, Al, and Mn) had higher deposition velocities than anthropogenic elements (V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ba and Pb). For crustal elements, overall dry deposition velocities were higher in Chicago than at the other sites.     

Wet and dry deposition of sulfur and nitrogen compounds in Ontario

Measurements have been made of sulfur and nitrogen compounds in precipitation since 1980 and in air since 1981 in Ontario. This paper presents results of the atmospheric deposition measurement program to the end of 1985. As is to be expected from the distribution of emission sources, annual concentrations of SO₄²⁻ andNO₃⁻ in precipitation, and of SO₂,SO₄²⁻ andNO₃⁻ in air are higher in southern Ontario than in northern Ontario. The corresponding distribution pattern for deposition is similar to that of concentration. A wet SO₄²⁻ deposition rate of 20 kg ha¹⁻ y¹⁻, a value considered critical for the acidification of sensitive water bodies, is exceeded in all of central and southern Ontario. On a province-wide basis, sulfur wet deposition is about four times higher than sulfur dry deposition. For nitrogen, wet and dry deposition are more comparable, though the former is still higher. The S- and N-species display different seasonal trends in concentration and deposition reflecting a dependence on meteorological factors, and on the associated chemical transformation rates. On the other hand, year to year variations are small.     

Wet and dry deposition of trace elements onto the Greenland ice sheet

Trace element concentrations have been measured in the air and in fresh and older surface snow during the summers of 1978 and 1979 at Dye 3, south-central Greenland. These data have been used with other information in the literature to calculate a total (wet plus dry) deposition velocity on the order of 0.5 cms⁻¹ for trace element transport to the ice sheet on an annual basis. The data suggest that dry deposition contributes less than 25 % of the total transport for elements with large enrichment factors. Crustal elements may be more significantly influenced by dry deposition.     

Wet and dry atmospheric deposition on TiO2 coated glass

To prevent the soiling of glass window used in the built environment, the use TiO₂ coated products appears an important application matter. To test the cleaning efficiency and the sustainability of self-cleaning glass, a field experiment was conducted under real life condition, on a site representative of the background urban pollution. Samples of float glass, used as reference, and commercialized TiO₂ coated glasses were exposed to dry and wet atmospheric deposition during two years. The crossed optical, chemical and microscopic evaluations performed, after withdrawal, allowed highlighting a sensible difference between the reference and the self-cleaning substrate in terms of accumulation, nature, abundance and geometry of the deposit. This experiment conducted in real site emphasized on the efficacy of self-cleaning glass to reduce the maintenance cost.     

Wet deposition of phosphorus in Florida

Wet deposition of phosphorus was measured at 10 sites across Florida originally established as part of the Florida Atmospheric Mercury Study conducted between 1992 and 1996. Monthly integrated samples were collected and analyzed using a total analytical protocol that incorporated “clean lab” conditions for sample equipment preparation and Aerochem Metrics collectors modified for suitability to use for ultra-trace elements. Samples also were collected aboard 15 m towers to minimize any influence on measured deposition by insects, etc., and locally originating particles that do not contribute to true net deposition. Extensive replication of samples in the field was conducted (ca. 83%). The average absolute difference between replicates was 16.2%, with a median absolute difference of 9.5%. Replicate precision was poorest for concentrations above 0.080 mg P l⁻¹, suggesting that concentrations above this level are contaminated.The wet deposition concentrations and fluxes of phosphorus measured in this study are appreciably lower than those reported by previous investigators for wet deposition in Florida, and lie at the lower end of measurements reported in the recent literature. For example, the volume weighted mean concentration and flux for wet deposition across all our study sites averaged 0.005 mg P l⁻¹ and 7.5 mg P m⁻² yr⁻¹, respectively, which is approximately 50% and 32% lower than that reported by Hendry et al. (1981 in Atmospheric Pollutants in Natural Waters. Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor. MI, pp. 199–215). Our lower measurements likely reflect three factors: (1) the ultra-trace element sampling and analytical protocols; (2) improved collector design to eliminate sampling artifacts (e.g., splash-off contamination and transfer of contaminants from the dry bucket); and (3) placement of collectors off the ground surface. Lower VWM concentrations were observed near the Florida coast; otherwise, strong spatial patterns across the state were absent. Seasonal variations in VWM also were not pronounced, although deposition fluxes were highest during the summer wet season in response to the strong seasonal distribution of rainfall.     

Wet deposition of poly- and perfluorinated compounds in Northern Germany

Twenty precipitation samples were taken concurrently with air samples at a northern German monitoring site over a period of 7 months in 2007 and 2008. Thirty four poly- and perfluorinated compounds (PFC) were determined in rain water samples by solid phase extraction and HPLC-MS/MS analysis. Seventeen compounds were detected in rain water with ΣPFC concentrations ranging from 1.6 ng L⁻¹ to 48.6 ng L⁻¹. Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorobutanate (PFBA) were the compounds that were usually observed in highest concentrations. Calculated ΣPFC deposition rates were between 2 and 91 ng m⁻² d⁻¹. These findings indicate that particle phase PFC are deposited from the atmosphere by precipitation. A relationship between PFC wet deposition and air concentration may be established via precipitation amounts. Trajectory analysis revealed that PFC concentration and deposition estimates in precipitation can only be explained if a detailed air mass history is considered.     

Particulate deposition from dry unpaved roadways

Atmospheric transport and deposition of dust generated by vehicular traffic on dry unpaved roadways is quantified by use of a mass-conserving numerical model. Input to the model includes meteorological conditions, surface roughness, source and receptor heights, and measured particulate-size distribution. Model output includes mass deposited and effective area coverage per vehicle pass at various downwind distances. The model can be used to quantify nuisance levels resulting from fugitive road dust, reduction in efficiency of solar collectors, reduction in photosynthesis, and sedimentation in aquatic bodies caused by airborne dust.     

Measurement and modeling of the dry deposition of peroxides

easurements of the dry deposition velocity (V_d) of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and total organic peroxides (ROOH) were made during four experiments at three forested sites. Details and uncertainties associated with the measurement of peroxide fluxes by the flux-gradient method are discussed. The results are compared to those predicted using a bulk-resistance model of the type commonly used in regional photochemical models. Good agreement between the H₂O₂ V_d measurements and a bulk resistance model is obtained when the model contains a zero surface resistance (R_c) and a common form for the laminar leaf-layer resistance (R_b) based on Schmidt and Prandtl numbers. In this case, a near-zero (<5 s m^-1) surface resistance is confirmed for H₂O₂ within experimental uncertainties. Surface resistances for ROOH were determined to be about 10–15 s m^-1 over a coniferous forest and 20–40 s m^-1 over a deciduous forest. Higher uncertainties for ROOH prevent a detailed analysis of the differences in R_c among forest types. However, the ratio of deposition velocities (ROOH/H₂O₂), computed from normalized concentration gradients, ranged from 0.28 to 0.61 (geometric mean) at the three sites. Differences in molecular diffusivities between H₂O₂ and ROOH can only account for an estimated 16% difference in V_d. Thus, the major constituent of ROOH must also be less soluble and/or less reactive than H₂O₂, which is consistent with the characteristics of methylhydroperoxide (MHP).     

Deliquescence induces eddy covariance and estimable dry deposition errors

The effects of deliquescent processes on eddy covariance estimates of dry deposition are considered, both theoretically and using some representative data. Turbulent and latent heat fluxes near the Earth's surface imply a vertical “saturation ratio flux” (Fairall, C.W., Atmospheric Environment, 18 (1984) 1329). Deliquescence, instantaneous relative to turbulent time-scales, responds to saturation ratio (or relative humidity) fluctuations and induces covariance between vertical winds and size-resolved number concentrations of hygroscopic aerosols. The induced covariance represents an error in the estimation of surface exchange by direct application of the eddy covariance technique. Under deliquescent conditions (high relative humidity), resulting errors in dry deposition estimates are shown to be often as large as typical deposition velocities reported for small particles, depending on the shape of the number distribution and the magnitudes of heat and vapor fluxes in the boundary layer.     

Measurement of dry deposition to surfaces in deciduous and pine canopies

The importance of dry deposition was assessed at perimeter and interior locations in two vegetative canopies. Dry deposition was measured directly by washing particles from leaves. Ambient particles and gases were also collected at both locations within the canopies. Ambient concentrations on the canopy interior were decreased relative to perimeter concentrations due to dry deposition scavenging by the canopy. The least scavenging was found for SO(4)(2-) and NH(4)(+) and the highest scavenging was found for HNO(3). Dry deposition of all species was higher to perimeter vegetative and surrogate surfaces than to interior surfaces, due both to the lower concentrations and the lower wind speeds in the sheltered interior. Deposition velocities compared well with other experimental and theoretical values.     

Concentration and dry deposition of atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen compounds in Hungary

The level of regional air pollution is regularly monitored at three stations in Hungary. The comparison of regional concentrations of SO₂ and NO₂ to those measured in Budapest shows that urban level concentration of SO₂ is ten times higher than the value for background conditions. The corresponding figure for NO₂ is five. An increase eastwards across the country can be observed for NO₂ and SO₂, while particulate sulphate, nitrate and ammonium have practically identical concentrations. The concentration of gaseous ammonia has a summer maximum, while the annual variation of particulate ammonium suggests a winter maximum. The ratio of the level of nitric acid to aerosol nitrate is higher than unity in summer, while in winter it is less than 1. The dry deposition of sulfur and oxidized nitrogen compounds is comparable to their wet deposition. However, in the case of NH_x (x = 3 or 4) the wet deposition exceeds the dry deposition by an order of magnitude.     

The Chemical and Meteorological Conditions Associated with High and Low Ozone Concentrations in Southeastern Michigan and Nearby Areas of Ontario

This analysis represents the first characterization of the photochemistry and transport of ozone in the Detroit metropolitan area and provides a basis for comparing data for Detroit to that for other cities. The characterization is based on a comprehensive set of meteorological and chemical measurements obtained at a site in the urban core of Detroit during the summer of 1981, together with measurements of O₃, nitrogen oxides (NO _X ), and nonmethane organic compounds (NMOC) from rural, suburban, and urban areas in southeastern Michigan and adjacent areas of Ontario.

For the quartile (23 days) with highest ozone maxima (97-180 ppb), the maxima occurred 10-70 km north-northeast of the city on days that were warm and hazy with light southsouthwest winds. On such days there was a marked accumulation of ozone precursors (NMOC and NO_X) in the early morning, as well as a rapid chemical removal of NO _X (NO _X half-life of ～5 h) from morning to midday. The timing of the daily ozone increase across the study region suggests that local photochemical generation in a moving plume was responsible for more than half of the ozone measured downwind. However, there was also evidence that ozone transported into Detroit as part of the regional background was a significant part of the O₃ maxima on high ozone days. The average contributions of photochemistry and transport for the 23 days with the highest ozone maxima were estimated to be 57 ppb and 47 ppb, respectively.     

Characterization of atmospheric dry deposition particulates in Kobe, Japan

The sources and character of individual metal and metalloid particles from atmospheric dry depositions in Kobe, Japan were investigated. Japan faces long-range pollutant transportation from northeastern Asia during winter and spring. Information regarding their properties and sources is useful for evaluating their affects on the environment and human health. Individual metal and metalloid particles that were collected for every 24 h on the plate, which was designed to reduce a local turbulence, were characterized for their composition, diameter, and deposition fluxes using a field emission scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Approximately 3,000 metal and metalloid particles were classified into 14 types based on their composition and further classified into four groups based on their distribution patterns. They are (A) Fe-O, Fe-Ba-Sb-Cu-S-Ti-O, Fe-Zn-O, Zn-O, Ni-O, and Mn-Fe-O; (B) Cu-Zn-O and Cu-Sn-O; (C) Pb-O, Sn-Sb-O, and Ag-O; (D) Pb-Zn-Cl-Si-S-O and Bi-Cl-O. From these data, this study suggests their sources as the Asian continent (Group A), local source (Group B), multiple sources (Group C), and incineration process (Group D). This study shows (1) the sources and character of individual metal and metalloid particles from short-term atmospheric depositions in Kobe, Japan and (2) application of individual particle analysis for atmospheric depositions.     

Wet deposition of the seeding agent after weather modification activities

Weather modification activities are performed mostly by cloud seeding. Some operational projects have been conducted for more than a half century and cover planetary scales. These activities have led to large amounts of seeding agents being deposited on the ground in precipitation. The main intent of this paper is to identify the spatial pattern of silver iodide deposits after hail suppression. The spatial pattern of silver iodide deposits is determined using the weather modification project measurements from seeding agent reports, two weather radars and 316 launching sites during a 5-year period. The estimated spatial distribution of the deposits is not uniform, with the maximum silver iodide amount located in the southern part of the study area (up to 140 μg m^?2). Our results are comparable with the measurements performed by chemical analyses during other cloud seeding experiments. The maximum location coincides well with that of the maximum seeded hailstorm precipitation frequency. A new method for identifying the spatial pattern of wet-deposited material has been established. The location with the maximum amount is found. This method would be important as a means of placing samplers and monitoring at the representative sites because those are where most weather modification projects would be performed in the future.     

Altitude-dependent wet,dry and occult nitrogen deposition in an Alpine Region

From November 1995 to October 1996 and from October 1997 to September 1998, samples of wet precipitation, cloud water, as well as of reactive gases and particulate matter, were collected at three elevational levels (920 m, 1280 m and 1758 m a.s.l.) in Achenkirch, Austria. The samples were analysed for ammonium and nitrate in wet precipitation and in cloud water, for ammonia, nitric acid and nitrogen dioxide in the gas phase and for particulate ammonium and particulate nitrate in aerosol. Total nitrogen deposition was calculated combining measured concentrations in wet, dry and occult depositions with the corresponding deposition fluxes. Two multilayer deposition models were used for the calculation of dry and occult deposition. The total nitrogen input in 1995/96 was estimated to be 29 kg N ha⁻¹a⁻¹ at the Christlumkopf station (1758 m), 20 kg N ha⁻¹a⁻¹ at the Christlumalm station (1280 m) and 28 kg N ha⁻¹a⁻¹ at the Talboden station (930 m). Respective data for the 1997/98 observation period were 31 kg N ha⁻¹a⁻¹ at the Christlumkopf station (1758 m) and 18 kg N ha⁻¹a⁻¹ at the Mühleggerköpfl station (920 m). Critical Loads of nitrogen for coniferous forests were exceeded significantly near-source regions represented by areas of intense agricultural use and at high elevation sites.

     

Outlier detection in phosphorus dry deposition rates measured in South Florida

Dry atmospheric deposition contributes a significant amount of phosphorus to the Everglades of South Florida. Measurement of this deposition is problematic, because samples often are contaminated to varying degrees by bird droppings and other foreign materials. This study attempted to detect and remove the outliers in phosphorus (P) flux rates measured from dry deposition samples. Visual inspection of the samples, recorded in field notes, found that 30.1% of the samples contained animal droppings and frogs. Some of the samples with droppings and frogs (2.3%) had P values greater than 884 μg P m⁻² d⁻¹ (a value twice the standard deviation of the raw data mean), and were removed from further analysis. Outlier detection statistics based on a linear regression were then used for additional data screening. Eight stations in the network of 19 were removed because high contamination precluded the use of the regression model. Of the remaining samples, 15.7% were identified through the regression procedure as contaminated and were removed. The 11 station mean for P dry deposition was 85.8±79.0 μg P m⁻² d⁻¹, prior to the regression analysis, and 74.8±75.1 μg P m⁻² d⁻¹ after removal.     

Measurement of dry deposition of ammonia on a forest

Ammonia concentration gradients above a Douglas fir canopy were measured from 16 August to 31 December 1989 by two automated high-precision thermodenuders at the location Speulderbos in The Netherlands. Concentration gradients were used to calculate the dry deposition flux of ammonia via flux-gradient theory. Meteorological data were obtained from a nearby tower. Ammonia concentrations were highly variable with highest values during the night. Concentration gradients were very small during daytime and quite large at night. Median values of the calculated deposition flux and deposition velocity were 0.1 microg m(-2) s(-1) and 3.2 cm s(-1) respectively (N=1624).