Atmospheric deposition of toxic pollutants to the Great Lakes as measured by the integrated atmospheric deposition network

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es970759j· OSTI ID:642295

Hillery, B R; Simcik, M F; Basu, I ^[1]

---

1. Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States); and others

To determine atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic contaminants to the Great Lakes, the US and Canada established the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN), designed to collect regional data representative of the air over the lakes. In this paper, the authors present an update of atmospheric loadings to the Great Lakes for seven organochlorine pesticides, four polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and total-PCBs, four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and four trace metals. Calculations are based on gas, particle, and precipitation samples obtained in 1993 and 1994 at the five master IADN sampling stations. Air-water exchange is the dominant process for most organochlorines and lower molecular weight PAHs. Within the uncertainty in the data given here, current atmospheric loadings are indistinguishable from air-water equilibrium having been achieved over the lakes. In other words, the deposition of most organochlorine compounds into the Great Lakes is about balanced by the evaporation of these compounds from the lakes. Uncertainties in gas-transfer loadings are due to the inexact knowledge of physiochemical parameters, averaging of data over long time scales, and insufficient data for nonatmospheric sources.

• OSTI ID: 642295
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 32; ISSN ESTHAG; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR-WATER INTERACTIONS
DEPOSITION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GREAT LAKES
METALS
MONITORING
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
WATER POLLUTION