Comparison of sulfate and nitrate in precipitation in 1955 and 1977 to emissions and air quality trends

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5548643

Stensland, G J

The concentrations of sulfate and nitrate for wet-only precipitation samples for 1955 and 1977 are compared. The changes for Central Illinois are determined from data collected by the Illinois State Water Survey. The changes for the east are determined from the 1955 data of C. Junge and the 1977 data from three map sites. Nitrate in the precipitation samples is found to be 30-80% greater in 1977 than in 1955. In this same time period the estimated nitrate emissions for the United States have increases by about 110%. Sulfate in the 1977 precipitation samples compared to 1955 is found to be approximately 20% lower at the eastern sites and 20% higher at the midwestern site. The published emissions data indicate that urban sulfur dioxide levels have decreased from 1965 to 1974 while urban sulfate levels have remained about the same. Nonurban sulfate levels from 1965 to 1972 increased about 40% at the midwest sites and may have decreased somewhat at the eastern sites. Since the precipitation concentration increases are less than the estimated emissions increases, the analysis suggests that a smaller fraction of the nitrate and maybe sulfate is removed by wet deposition in 1977 compared to 1955.

• OSTI ID: 5548643
• Report Number(s): CONF-790634-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION V
ILLINOIS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
USA