Measurement and interpretation of acid rainfall in the Los Angeles basin. Final report Jan 78-Jun 79

Technical Report · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6504609

Morgan, J J; Liljestrand, H M

The purpose of the work was to define the extent, degree and pertinent chemical characteristics of acid precipitation in the Los Angeles Basin of Southern California. Precipitation samplers were placed at nine locations: Pasadena, Azusa, Big Bear Lake, Central Los Angeles, Long Beach, Mt. Wilson, Riverside, Westwood and Wrightwood. A total of 533 individual samples were analyzed from the nine locations, and 38 different storms were sampled at one or more of the locations. Increments of precipitation collected during a storm were analyzed for pH, titration acidity, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, fluoride, bromide, orthophosphate, total phosphate, bicarbonate, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, ammonium, organic carbon and suspended solids. The mean acidity in the Fall-Spring 1978-79 period ranged from a high of 38.4 micro-equivalents/liter at Pasadena to a low of 2.45 micro-equivalents/liter at Big Bear Lake, with corresponding mean pH's of 4.41 at Pasadena and 5.42 at Big Bear Lake. At Pasadena, individual sample (0.25 inch increments of precipitation) acidities ranged from 1600 micro-equivalents/liter to -8.1 micro-equivalents/liter, and individual sample pH's ranged from 2.89 to 6.24. Incremental sampling during storms revealed significant changes in pH and chemical composition with time, with early stages of precipitation generally showing low pH and high nitrate and sulfate concentrations.

• Research Organization: California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena (USA). W.M. Keck Lab. of Environmental Engineering Science
• OSTI ID: 6504609
• Report Number(s): PB-81-103566
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
AIR POLLUTION
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CALIFORNIA
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
LOS ANGELES
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
POLLUTION
RAIN
SAMPLING
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TIME DEPENDENCE
USA
WESTERN REGION