Acid precipitation in the Washington Cascades

Technical Report · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6004062

Duncan, L C

The precipitation collected at each site was acidic in that the average pH values were substantially below pH 5.6. The pH values varied somewhat with location. Sulfate was the dominant negative ion at all sites, even after correction for sea-salt input. The mean strong acid composition over the sites ranged 50-57 weight-% H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. Precipitation falling on the cascades east and windward of the urban Puget Sound area was notably acidic, with a volume average pH of 4.71 at the Cascade crest (Snoqualmie Pass). Strong acid content in precipitation increased in the summer months. In addition, 29 watershed source lakes lying along the Cascade crest 3-20 miles north of the site collectors were sampled in the summer of 1981; all lakes were found to be highly sensitive (but not acidified), with alkalinities ranging from 4-190 microequivalents/liter (mean value of 50.4). The lakes were nonetheless, considered to be highly susceptible to acid input, being in a region of thin top soil and resistant strata. 22 references, 5 figures, 5 tables.

• Research Organization: Flachglas A.G. Delog-Detag, Weiden (Germany, F.R.). Physikalisches Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6004062
• Report Number(s): PB-82-224643; OWRT-A-110-WASH(1)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CASCADE MOUNTAINS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
FEDERAL REGION X
GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
LAKES
MOUNTAINS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
POLLUTION SOURCES
RAIN
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SENSITIVITY
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFURIC ACID
SURFACE WATERS
URBAN AREAS
USA
VARIATIONS
WASHINGTON