Response of Maryland tobacco to saline aerosol emissions from brackish water cooling towers

Journal Article · · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6334279

Mulchi, C L; Armbruster, J A

Field studies were conducted on Maryland tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) for 8 weeks during each summer from 1973 to 1977, to acquire information on the response of tobacco to simulated saline aerosol deposition from brackish water cooling towers. The studies involved two sources of salts (NaCl and brackish water from the Unit 3 cooling tower at Chalk Point, Md.), and various salt deposition rates (0.97 to 22.24 kg ha/sup -1/ week/sup -1/). Results obtained from these simulated drift studies were compared with results obtained from 12 monitoring sites located at 1.6-, 4.8-, and 9.6-km distances from an operating natural-draft cooling tower at Chalk Point, Md. over the period 1975 to 1978. No foliar injury symptoms associated with salt deposition were observed in either simulation drift studies or cooling tower monitoring program during the investigation. In the cooling tower monitoring program, no significant (p less than or equal to 0.05) differences were observed for yield, quality, burn, Cl contents or metabollic index value with respect to distances or years X distance interaction; however, year-to-year variation was significant. These results suggest that the operation of the Unit 3 cooling tower using brackish water was not having a significant impact on tobacco grown in the region.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Maryland, College Park
• OSTI ID: 6334279
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 12:1; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560303* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
COOLING TOWERS
DEPOSITION
ECOSYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION III
MARYLAND
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
NICOTIANA
NORTH AMERICA
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PLANTS
POLLUTION
SALTS
TOWERS
USA