Acid deposition: effects on geochemical cycling and biological availability of trace elements. Report for September 1982-January 1985

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5780600

Campbell, P G.C.; Galloway, J N; Stokes, P

Acid deposition is caused by emissions of oxides of sulfur and nitrogen from such high temperature processes as fossil-fuel combustion and ore smelting. The emissions also contain elements present in the environment in trace amounts, for example, silver (Ag), arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), tin (Sn), tellurium (Te), thallium (Th), Vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn). With the exception of mercury, these elements are not naturally present in the atmosphere owing to their characteristically low volatilities. The shift from natural to human control of deposition of trace elements significantly perturbs the biogeochemical cycles of these potentially toxic substances. This report addresses the following: Do elevated rates of their deposition cause changes in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. What are the interactions between their deposition and the concurrent acidification of ecosystems. The report focuses on elements generally classified as very toxic and relatively accessible in the environment, i.e. the 17 listed above plus aluminum (Al). A significant bibliography accompanies the report.

• Research Organization: National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5780600
• Report Number(s): PB-85-176139/XAB
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Prepared in cooperation with Academia de la Investigacion Cientifica of Mexico, Mexico City, and Royal Society of Canada, Ottawa (Ontario)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
AIR POLLUTION
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
TOXIC MATERIALS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
WATER POLLUTION
ECOLOGY
ELEMENTS
GEOCHEMISTRY
METALS
NITROGEN OXIDES
SEDIMENTS
SULFUR OXIDES
TRACE AMOUNTS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
ECOSYSTEMS
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RAIN
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)