Acidity in rainwater and airborne suspended particles in the southwestern coast of the East Sea (Sea of Japan): Their potential impact on seawater total alkalinity

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin 2023-12, Vol.197, p.115742-115742, Article 115742
• Main Authors: Park, Geun-Ha, Park, Seunghee, Seok, Min-Woo, Lee, Seon-Eun, Kim, Young-Il, Mo, Ahra, Ko, Young Ho, Kim, Haryun, Kim, Tae-Wook
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acid deposition; acidity; alkalinity; carbon dioxide; carbonates; coasts; dissolved inorganic carbon; marine pollution; nitrogen; ocean acidification; rain; Sea of Japan; seawater; South Korea
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115742

Our understanding of the impact of atmospheric acid deposition on marine carbonate system remains limited, largely due to a lack of data regarding acidity present in atmospheric particles and precipitation. Previous research has relied on the electroneutrality-based ion balance method for indirect estimation of atmospheric acidity. In this study, atmospheric samples collected at a coastal site of South Korea were mixed with seawater to measure the change in seawater total alkalinity (ΔTA ) associated with atmospheric proton loading. For the precipitation samples, the measured ΔTA and electroneutrality-based estimates showed a significant correlation. However, we did not observe similar results for the atmospheric particle samples. Furthermore, the decrease in oceanic TA due to ΔTA was substantially smaller than that in dissolved inorganic carbon from concurrent nitrogen fertilization. Consequently, the adverse impact of acid deposition on ocean acidification or air-sea exchange of CO appears to be insignificant on a short-term scale.