Temporal trends in the acidity of precipitation and surface waters of New York

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6609474

Peters, N E; Schroeder, R A; Troutman, D E

Statistical analyses of precipitation data from a nine-station monitoring network indicate little change in pH from 1965 to 1978 within New York State as a whole but suggest that pH of bulk precipitation has decreased in the western part of the State by approximately 0.2 pH units since 1965 and increased in the eastern part by a similar amount. This trend is equivalent to an annual change in hydrogen-ion concentration of 0.2 microequivalents per liter. An average annual increase in precipitation quantity of 2 to 3% since 1965 has resulted in an increased acid load in the western and central parts of the State. During 1965 to 1978, sulfate concentration in precipitation decreased an average of 1 to 4% annually. In general, no trend in nitrate was detected. Calculated trends in hydrogen-ion concentration do not correlate with measured trends of sulfate and nitrate, which suggests variable neutralization of hydrogen ion, possibly by particles from dry deposition. Neutralization has produced an increase of about 0.3 pH units in nonurban areas and 0.7 pH units in urban areas. Statistical analyses of chemical data from several streams throughout New York suggest that sulfate concentrations decreased an average of 1 to 4% per year. This decrease is comparable to the sulfate decrease in precipitation during the same period. In most areas of the State, chemical contributions from urbanization and farming, as well as the neutralizing effect of carbonate soils, conceal whatever effects acid precipitation may have on pH of streams.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6609474
• Report Number(s): USGS-WSP-2188; ON: DE83900680
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DISTRIBUTION
FEDERAL REGION II
INFORMATION
NEW YORK
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
RAIN
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
USA