Atmospheric sulfates from biological sources

Journal Article · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1975 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00022470.1976.10470244· OSTI ID:5579195

Hitchcock, D

Bacteriogenic production of H/sub 2/S occurs in fine-grained anoxic muds, is promoted by organic and nutrient pollution of water, peaks in the warm months of the year, and is the source of most of the estimated 100 to 200 million tons of biogenic sulfur annually contributed to the global atmosphere. Comparisons of annual and seasonal mean sulfate levels show that in nonurban groups summertime sulfate levels significantly exceed wintertime levels, and in summer, sulfate levels in urban sites are nearly the same as in nonurban sites. Comparisons of group sulfate means in 4 New York cities near extended bodies of polluted water with those in 10 inland upstate New York cities show significantly higher levels in the cities near polluted water in spring, summer, and fall and for the year as a whole, but not in winter, when the levels were similar. Studies of the summertime sulfate means in New York State show no evidence of an elevated anthropogenic background which could explain the high summertime sulfate level observed in one nonurban site in that state, while analyses of the day to day fluctuations in urban and nonurban sites support the conclusion that nonurban sites have large local (biogenic) sulfate sources in summer and fall. We conclude that biogenic sulfate sources contribute most of the sulfate observed in the cities during summer and fall, and in some cities also contribute in other seasons. These biogenic contributions vary with local conditions and are estimated to contribute up to 6 micrograms/m/sup 3/ (50%) or more to the annual geometric mean sulfate levels observed in some cities located near extensive bodies of polluted water.

• OSTI ID: 5579195
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 26; ISSN JPCAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
BACTERIA
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FEDERAL REGION II
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
KINETICS
MICROORGANISMS
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
REACTION KINETICS
RESPIRATION
SEDIMENTS
SULFATES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
USA