Regional transport and transformation of sulfur dioxide to sulfates in the US

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00022470.1976.10470256· OSTI ID:5468372

Altshuller, A P

The trends in and relationships between ambient air concentrations of sulfur dioxide and sulfate aerosols at 48 urban sites and 27 nonurban sites throughout the U.S. between 1963 and 1972 have been analyzed. The substantial decreases in ambient SO/sub 2/ concentrations measured at urban sites in the eastern and midwestern U.S. are consistent with the corresponding reductions in local SO/sub 2/ emissions, but these decreases have been accompanied by only modest decreases in ambient sulfate concentrations. Large differences in the amounts of SO/sub 2/ emitted within individual air quality control regions are associated with much smaller differences in the corresponding ambient sulfate concentrations. Substantial changes in the patterns of SO/sub 2/ emissions between air quality regions result in essentially no differences between ambient sulfate concentrations in those air quality regions. Comparisons of several air quality regions in the eastern and western U.S. with similar SO/sub 2/ emission levels and patterns of emissions clearly demonstrates the higher ambient sulfate concentration levels in eastern air quality control regions. Relationships between SO/sub 2/, sulfates, and vanadium concentrations at eastern nonurban U.S. sites cannot be explained by local emission sources. These various observed results can be best explained by long distance sulfur oxide transport with chemical conversion of SO/sub 2/ to sulfates occurring over ranges of hundreds of kilometers. This conclusion has been suggested earlier and the present analysis strongly supports previous discussions. An impact of long range transport of sulfates is to emphasize the need for consistent strategies for reduction of sulfur oxides throughout large geographical regions. Additions of large capacities involving elevated sources in mid-continental or western regions could result in significant increases in sulfate concentrations well downwind of such sources.

• OSTI ID: 5468372
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 26:4; ISSN JPCAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
CHALCOGENIDES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
URBAN AREAS
USA
VANADIUM