Evaluation of the equilibrium calculations within acidification models: the effect of uncertainty in measured chemical components

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1988 · Water Resour. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/WR024i004p00533· OSTI ID:6738062

Schecher, W D; Driscoll, C T

There is much concern over the effects of acidic deposition on soils and draining waters. To better understand the processes regulating the acidification of surface waters, computer models have been developed which utilize equilibrium calculations to predict the concentration of chemical parameters such as pH, acid neutralizing capacity, dissolved inorganic carbon, Al and SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/. A simple chemical equilibrium model (ALCHEMI) was used to evaluate the effect of uncertainty in the measurement of chemical constituents on thermodynamic calculations. For calculations where pH was not allowed to vary, uncertainty in Al speciation was small and largely due to imprecision in the measurement of total F and pH. When calculations were made from electroneutrality based on measured constituents, most of the uncertainty associated with the values of output parameters was due to imprecision in the determination of SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/.

• Research Organization: Syracuse Univ., NY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6738062
• Journal Information: Water Resour. Res.; (United States), Vol. 24:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ACIDIFICATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
ALUMINIUM
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SULFATES
SURFACE WATERS
ACID NEUTRALIZING CAPACITY
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
PH VALUE
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RAIN
SIMULATION
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
WATER CHEMISTRY
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)