Dry deposition as a major source of water pollution in Lake Michigan

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976 · ERDA Symp. Ser.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5430410

Sievering, H; Williams, C

Assessments of the Great Lakes' water quality and chemical loadings have not considered present and future air pollution sources within the Great Lakes' water basin as water pollution contributors. Yet, according to recent estimates, aerosols from the Chicago area alone may be the main source of Lake Michigan's concentration of almost one dozen trace elements. Mesoscale circulation patterns and a proper consideration of aerosol deposition velocities were not included. The information presented in this paper more fully addresses the problem of aerosol deposition in Lake Michigan by: (a) accounting for local mesoscale systems as well as the distribution of air trajectory and stability, and (b) accounting for the variation of deposition velocity with particle size. The conclusion of the study indicates that dry depositon accounts for 15% or more mass transfer efficiency of Chicago land aerosols over the lake. This is seen to equal or exceed the efficiency of wet deposition mass transfer. However, dry deposition as a function of particle size is such that the transfer of trace metals by this mechanism appears to be only 1 or 2%. Thus, it would seem that wet deposition is the dominant mechanism for their transfer into Lake Michigan.

• OSTI ID: 5430410
• Journal Information: ERDA Symp. Ser.; (United States), Journal Name: ERDA Symp. Ser.; (United States) Vol. 38; ISSN ERDSD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
AIR POLLUTION
AIR-WATER INTERACTIONS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
DEPOSITION
GREAT LAKES
LAKE MICHIGAN
LAKES
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING
RAIN
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SIZE
SURFACE WATERS
TRAJECTORIES
WATER POLLUTION