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Effect of the ASARCO smelter shutdown on the acidity of rainfall in the Puget sound area

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6972251
; ; ;
The influence of the sulfur dioxide emissions from a large copper smelter in Tacoma, Washington, USA, was studied by measuring the chemical composition of rainwater collected upwind and downwind of the source, before and after permanent closure of the smelter in 1985. Data analysis was based on a statistical model that accounted for variability associated with location of 25 sampling sites within three geographic regions, smelter operation, ten individual rain events observed over 2 years, and measurement uncertainty. After smelter closure, the upwind-downwind differences in mean hydrogen ion and excess sulfate ion concentrations within a 600 km/sup 2/ region extending to 25 km downwind of the source had decreased significantly compared to the pre-closure value. No significant decreases in mean ion concentrations were observed farther downwind in the Seattle, urban area. During five events sampled prior to smelter closure, we estimate that an average of 1.7% (range 0.3 to 3.0%) of the sulfur dioxide emitted by the smelter was wet deposited as sulfate ion within a 3600 km/sup 2/ area extending 60 km downwind of the source.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
6972251
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-15880; CONF-880595-2; ON: DE88011898
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FEDERAL REGION X
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POINT POLLUTANT SOURCES
POLLUTION SOURCES
RAIN
SMELTERS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
USA
WASHINGTON