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BACKGROUND CONCENTRATION OF SULFATE IN PRECIPITATION ALONG WITH WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA
Citation:
Vong, R. BACKGROUND CONCENTRATION OF SULFATE IN PRECIPITATION ALONG WITH WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-89/107.
Description:
The pH is not sufficient to characterize the acidity of precipitation, but rather its acid-base components must be described. he chemistry of natural emission sources as well as the mechanisms of precipitation formation are key factors in determining the chemistry of precipitation along the west coast of North America. ith the ocean biota as a source of atmospheric aerosol sulfate, it is expected that this "background" chemistry will be dominated by sulfate. For the purpose of this study, background was defined as a remote site generally upwind of urban areas, with the additional requirement that data with evidence of contamination by anthropogenic sources be excluded. ata from long term precipitation monitoring sites along the coasts of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia were evaluated to estimate a background sulfate concentration in precipitation. n addition to screening the data for charge balance, collection efficiency, and anthropogenic influence, the data were corrected for sulfate associated with sea salt. he results of this analysis suggest that background excess sulfate concentration in rainfall along the West Coast of North America occurs most frequently in the range of 2 to 12 ueq/L with a pH close to 5.3.