Research ArticleOpen AccessGoogle Scholar indexed
Chemical Composition and Sources of Rainwater Collected at a Semi-Rural Site in Ya’an, Southwestern China
Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- 1 Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- 2 Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- 3 Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- 4 Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- 5 Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- 6 Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- 7 Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
Atmospheric and Climate Sciences·Volume 03 (2013)·Pages 486–496·Published 26 August 2013·DOI10.4236/acs.2013.34051
Copy link · social · email
Abstract
Rain and snow water samples were collected from Sep. 2010 to Jun. 2011 at a semi-rural site in Ya’an, a city located in the rain-belt along the Tibetan Plateau, to characterize the chemical composition and the sources of precipitation. The collected samples were severely acidified with an annual volume-weighted mean (VWM) pH of 4.03 and an annual acid rain frequency of 79%. SO 4 2- and NH 4 + were the most abundant ions, followed by Ca 2+ , H + , NO 3 - , Cl - , K + , Na + , F - and Mg 2+ . The acidity of samples was predominantly generated by H 2 SO 4 and HNO 3 , which were neutralized by NH 4 + and Ca 2+ as much as 65%. NH 3 played a major role in neutralizing the acid rain. The average ambient concentration of NH 3 was 174.2 μg/m 3 during sampling periods. Different source apportionment methods, including principle component analysis (PCA), enrichment factor (EF), correlation and back-trajectory analysis were used to track the sources of rainwater. The methods suggested that the pollutants in rainwater were from both local and long-distance transport (1:2.2), or they were from anthropogenic actions (86.4%), sea salts (8.1%) and crustal (5.5%) respectively.
KeywordsAcid RainChemical CompositionAmmoniaSource ApportionmentYa’an
- T. Larssen, E. Lydersen, D. Tang, Y. He, J. Gao, H. Liu, L. Duan, H. M. Seip, R. D. Vogt, J. Mulder, M. Shao, Y. Wang, H. Shang, X. Zhang, S. Solberg, W. Aas, T. ?kland, O. Eilertsen, V. Angell, Q. Liu, D. Zhao, R. Xiang, J. Xiao and J. Luo, “Acid Rain in China,” Environment Science & Technology, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2006, pp. 418-425. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es0626133
- T. Larssen, H. M. Seip, A. Semb, J Mulder, I. P. Muniz, R. D. Vogt, E. Lydersen, V. Angell, T. Dagang and O. Eilertsen, “Acid Deposition and Its Effects in China: An Overview,” Environmental Science & Policy, Vol. 2, No. 1, 1999, pp. 9-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1462-9011(98)00043-4
- R. A. Goyer, J. Bachmann, T. W. Clarkson, B. G. Ferris, J. Graham, P. Mushak, D. P. Perl, D. P. Rall, R. Schlesinger, W. Sharpe and J. M. Wood, “Potential Human Health Effects of Acid Rain: Report of a Workshop,” Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 60, No. 5, 1985, pp. 355-368. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1289/ehp.8560355
- M. Zhang, S. Wang, F. Wu, X. Yuan and Y. Zhang, “Chemical Compositions of Wet Precipitation and Anthropogenic Influences at a Developing Urban Site in Southeastern China,” Atmospheric Research, Vol. 84, No. 4, 2007, pp. 311-322. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2006.09.003
- K. Huang, G. Zhuang, C. Xu, Y. Wang and A. Tang, “The Chemistry of the Severe Acidic Precipitation in Shanghai, China,” Atmospheric Research, Vol. 89, No. 1, 2008, pp. 149-160. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.atmosres. 2008.01.006
- D. Y. Huang, Y. G. Xu, P. Peng, H. H. Zhang and J. B. Lan, “Chemical Composition and Seasonal Variation of Acid Deposition in Guangzhou, South China: Comparison with Precipitation in Other Major Chinese Cities,” Environment Pollution, Vol. 157, No. 1, 2009, pp. 35-41. http://dx.doi.org / 10.1016/j.envpol.2008.08.001
- W. X. Wang and T. Wang, “On the Origin and the Trend of Acid Precipitation in China,” Water, Air and Soil Pollution, Vol. 85, No. 4, 1995, pp. 2295-2300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01186176
- W. Aas, M. Shao, L. Jin, T. Larssen, D. Zhao, R. J. Xiang, J. H. Zhang, J. S. Xiao and L. Duan, “Air Concentrations and Wet Deposition of Major Inorganic Ions Five NonUrban Sites in China, 2001-2003,” Atmospheric Environment, Vol. 41, No. 8, 2007, pp. 1706-1716. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.atmosenv.2006.10.030
- D. Migliavacca, E. C. Teixeira, F. Wiegand, A. C. M. Machado and J. Sanchez, “Atmospheric Precipitation and Chemical Composition of an Urban Site, Guaíba Hydrographic Basin, Brazil,” Atmospheric Environment, Vol. 39, No. 10, 2005, pp. 1829-1844. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.atmosenv.2004.12.005