Influence of a large sulfur dioxide point source on mesoscale rainwater chemistry

Conference · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5204491

Alkezweeny, A J; Laulainen, N S

We are measuring the spatial and temporal variations in rainwater chemical composition at forty ground-level sites near (within 100 km) a large sulfur dioxide point source (a copper smelter). Simultaneous measurement of particulate chemical composition in the surrounding air both at ground level and in the plume as well as knowledge of sulfur dioxide emissions as a function of time allow us to estimate the contribution of this source to the total wet deposition downwind. Similar measurements of the chemical composition of rain and air after closure of this source will allow us to verify our estimates of the source's contribution to downwind rainwater chemistry. The closure of this relatively isolated source in an area with a clean background provides a unique opportunity to examine these 'source-receptor' relationships and the models used to predict them. A key assumption in this work is that the variability in rainwater chemical composition due to both sampling and analysis procedures as well as meteorology of selected storms is small when compared with the spatial variability due to the smelter influence. Results to date indicate that is the case. To the extent that this source imposed variability is important for a number of chemical species, it should be possible to test a variety of deterministic and multivariate statistical models of precipitation scavenging and wet deposition.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5204491
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-13406; CONF-8509108-2; ON: DE85018215
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COPPER
DIFFUSION
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
METEOROLOGY
NAPAP
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUMES
POLLUTION SOURCES
PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING
RAIN WATER
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SMELTERS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WATER