The cycle of atmospheric cadmium in the remote North Pacific

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6730280

Patterson, T L

Bulk aerosol, cascade impactor, rain and seawater samples were specially collected for cadmium, lead, aluminum and sodium measurements during the spring season. The samples were collected during the SEAREX (Sea-Air Exchange) Program's North Pacific Westerlies Cruises and at the SEAREX Asian Dust Sampling network station on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Aerosol samples were also collected at a third station located on the Pacific Coast of the Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington. The data indicate that the most likely primary source of cadmium over the central North Pacific is pollutant aerosol produced in Asia that has been rapidly transported through the upper troposphere to the remote North Pacific boundary layer. The deposition rate of atmospheric cadmium was estimated using wet and dry deposition models coupled with cadmium concentration data. Based on these estimates, the net deposition of pollutant cadmium comprises between 90 and 100% of the gross flux, and wet deposition represents between 80 and 90% of the flux. The flux of cadmium from the atmosphere to the ocean during the spring is estimated to be an insignificant source of cadmium in the surface waters of the central North Pacific Ocean compared to the horizontal and vertical advection and diffusion of dissolved cadmium. The dissolvability of cadmium from aerosols into seawater was also measured as a part of this research. Based on the results of a limited number of replicate experiments, greater than approximately 90% of the cadmium in the bulk aerosol dissolves in seawater within six hours.

• Research Organization: Rhode Island Univ., Kingston, RI (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6730280
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
ALKALI METALS
ALUMINIUM
CADMIUM
DEPOSITION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LEAD
METALS
MONITORING
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC OCEAN
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
SEAS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SEAWATER
SODIUM
SURFACE WATERS
VARIATIONS
WATER
WATER POLLUTION