Characterization and classification of atmospheric sulfates

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00022470.1979.10470871· OSTI ID:5585072

Biggins, P D.E.; Harrison, R M

It has long been known that the prime physical process affecting submicrometer atmospheric particles is that of coagulation by Brownian diffusion. Since the dominant atmospheric sulfates H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, NH/sub 4/HSO/sub 4/ and (NH/sub 4/)/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ are hygroscopic and commonly exist as liquid droplets in the atmosphere, liquid phase chemical reactions of soluble constituents can occur within atmospheric droplets subsequent to the coagulation process. Hence entirely new sulfate compounds may be formed, and these together with other sulfates have been identified in both rural and urban air. Secondary and tertiary sulfates formed as a result of these processes may be major constituents of te atmosphere, as in the Donora episode, and cannot be ignored when considering the health effects of atmospheric sulfates. It has been reported that zinc ammonium sulfate is a more potent respiratory irritant than zinc sulfate or ammonium sulfate, and that when zinc ammonium sulfate and sulfur dioxide were administered together the effect was more than additive. It must also be recognized that since sulfates can play an important role in the atmospheric chemistry of toxic metals such as lead, they may fundamentally influence the health hazard associated with inhalation of polluted air containing the metal.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Lancaster, England
• OSTI ID: 5585072
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 29:8; ISSN JPCAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID SULFATES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM SULFATES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DROPLETS
FLOCCULATION
FLUIDS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFATES
LEAD COMPOUNDS
LEAD SULFATES
LIQUIDS
MONITORING
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PRECIPITATION
RESPIRATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM SULFATES
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SULFURIC ACID
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC SULFATES