Characterization of a rural area in terms of dry and wet deposition

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 1988-08, Vol.74, p.111-120
• Main Authors: Possanzini, M., Buttini, P., Di Palo, V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Ammonia - analysis; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Gases - analysis; Humans; Italy; Nitrates - analysis; Nitric Acid; Nitrogen Dioxide - analysis; Pollutants physicochemistry study: properties, effects, reactions, transport and distribution; Pollution; Rain; Rural Population; Sulfur Dioxide - analysis; Weather
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/0048-9697(88)90132-5

Atmospheric gaseous pollutants (NO 2, SO 2, NH 3, HNO 3) and related ionic species in water-soluble fine particulates and rainwater were monitored from September 1986 to January 1987 with the aim of estimating the acid deposition over a rural area near Rome. A wet-only rain collector and an annular denuder-filter pack sampling system for gases and aerosols were employed to avoid chemical artifact formation. A comparison of the wet and dry deposition rates indicates that atmospheric removal by precipitation was the dominant sink for sulfate and nitrate at the sampling site. Ion balance analysis showed that the main compounds present in aerosols were (NH 4) 2SO 4 and NH 4NO 3, since the ammonium neutralization factor approached 100% and the acidity content was very low. The marked enrichment of H +, SO 4 2− and NO 3 − in preparation compared with NH 4 + could be explained by assuming either that SO 2 and NO 2 are oxidized in cloud droplets or that acidic sulfate and nitrate are scavenged directly in-cloud or below-cloud.