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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Injury to vegetation by smelter fumes

Book ·
OSTI ID:7204468
A suit against the Mountain Copper Company prompted an investigation to show whether or not the fumes from a smelter injure vegetation and, if so, over how large an area. All samples of vegetation came from either the extreme edge or outside the area of acknowledged damage. A chemical analysis of about 60 samples of trees, water, soil, and ore found that small quantities of sulfur dioxide in the air kill vegetation. The injury shows itself by the increased sulfur dioxide content of the foliage. Injury to the vegetation extends for at least 3.5 miles north, 9 miles south, 2.5 miles east, and 5 to 6 miles west of the smelter. Waste material pollutes the Sacramento River. The author proposes condensing the fumes to form sulfuric acid, which has a market. 6 figures, 8 tables.
OSTI ID:
7204468
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English