Elemental Tracers of Source Regions of Contaminants in Precipitation. Fifth Status Report, 1 November 1984-31 October 1986

摘要

This status report covers the entire period from the last report, i.e., 15 January-1 August 1986. We continued to sample and analyze each precipitation event at Narragansett, along with associated aerosol samples. The rain-sampling procedure was improved and evaluated. The new filter/vacuum flask sampling system generated information on solubilities of trace elements in rain at Narragansett. We determined that a suite of four tracer elements are not fractionated detectably between aerosol and precipitation, and thus can be used directly to apportion precipitation regionally. We found that these same elements differ systematically between precipitation and aerosol, however, but in ways consistent with vertical stratification of the atmosphere, i.e., aerosol from more-distant sources alift. We experimented with apportioning tracer elements and sulfate in precipitation at Narragansett, and results were reasonable. Elemental abundances were measured in several waterways of Rhode Island, in conjunction with Kenneth Borst of Rhode Island College, to study the extent to which acid rain has altered these waters. (ERA citation 11:051966)