Concentrations of some ionic species in Central Long Island,New York precipitation in relation to meteorological variables

Three years of hourly sequential precipitation data from central Long Island, New York were analyzed to determine the concentrations of major anions and cations and their relationships to each other and to meteorological conditions. Findings with respect to sulfate, nitrogen in nitrate plus nitrite, nitrogen in ammonium, chloride and sodium ions and selected ratios are reported here. Concentrations of each of the first three species were highly correlated with concentrations of the others and with hydrogen ions. Little correlation was found between these species and either sodium or chloride ions but the latter two were highly correlated with each other. Concentrations of the first three species are highest in summer and lowest in winter. High concentrations were also found with cold front and squall line precipitation and with rain showers and thundershowers. Concentrations of these species are high with both low and high precipitation rates. Concentrations are highest with west and northwest winds due to the presence of major source regions in those directions. They are high with both low and high temperatures but lower in the moderate temperature range. Concentrations are high with low (3.0 to 3.9) and with high (6.0 to 6.9) pH but less at intermediate levels. Thus, concentrations of these species in precipitation are determined by complex chemical and meteorological interactions and relationships. Chloride and sodium were found to be largely of marine origin. Highest concentrations occur in the fall and with hurricanes, strong winds, and onshore wind directions. Concentrations decrease with increasing precipitation rate. At low concentrations, the chloride/sodium ratio is above the seawater ratio and excess chloride is present. At high concentrations the ratio is below the seawater ratio and a chloride deficit exists.     

Evolution of the Concentration of Inorganic Ions during the Initial Stages of Precipitation Events

Ion concentrations in relatively low-intensity precipitation were measured in southern Indiana, USA and are presented as a function of their temporal evolution during individual precipitation events with a specific focus on the first 30 min of those events. These data indicate that during individual rain events potassium concentrations in precipitation may decline by up to 70%–80% in the first 30 min of the event. The other ions exhibited less rapid concentration declines during this event which are in rank order (highest to lowest); sodium, chloride, magnesium, nitrate, calcium, sulfate and ammonium. There is some evidence that the initial declines for precipitation accumulations up to 2 mm in the concentrationof chloride, calcium and sulfate in precipitation more closely approximate a power-law dependency on precipitation depth than the commonly applied exponential form which, if confirmed, may have implications for efforts to correct flux networks for under-sampling due to delay in sample collection. Scavenging coefficients (b) derived using an exponential relationship over entire events for sodium, chloride, nitrate, calcium, sulfate and ammonium indicate highest values for sodium and lowest for ammonium, but the uncertainty bounds on ion-specific values of b are sufficiently large that they are statistically indistinguishable.     

Precipitation chemistry within Kvarner Bay area,Northern Adriatic (Croatia), 1984–1991

The results of rainwater analyses collected at five sampling sites within Kvarner Bay area are presented for the period 1984–1991. The samples were collected on a daily basis in open buckets thus representing bulk samples. Although measurements are referred to as wet deposition samples, they are actually an upper limit for the wet deposition. The rainwater was initially analysed for pH, sulphate and nitrate content, while during the period March 1990 — May 1991 the analyses were extended to major ion concentrations: hydrogen, sulphate, nitrate, chloride, ammonium, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The pH frequency distribution, pH medians and precipitation weighted average (PWA) concentrations of hydrogen, sulphate and nitrate are presented, as well as wet deposition rates of sulphur (as sulphate) and nitrogen (as nitrate). The dependence of hydrogen, sulphate and nitrate mean concentrations on wind directions and seasons for Site 1 is also given. The highest precipitation acidity is obtained at urban and industrial Site 1 (city of Rijeka) because of the local washout of the atmosphere and influence of dry deposition, and at remote Site 4 (Lake Vrana) due to long-range transport. The neutralizing potential of sea salt and soil dust is responsible for partial neutralization of rainwater at other sites. The influence of sea salt on chemical composition of rainwater is observed at all sites. The estimated wet deposition rates of sulphate and nitrate are close to the values reported for Southeast Europe. The wet deposition rate for ammonium ion at Site 1 is almost double comparative regional values.     

Acidic precipitation at a site within the northeastern conurbation

Rain and snow were collected in plastic beakers either manually or with a Wong sampler during 58 precipitation events in 1974 at Yonkers, New York approximately 24 km north of the center of New York City. Determinations were made of total dissolved ionic species, free H ions, total H ions, sulfate, nitrate, chloride, and fluoride. Conductivity measurements ranged from 6.8 to 162 gmhos, pH from 3.4 to 4.9, total acidity from 36 to 557 μeq 1^?1 sulfate from less than 1 to 20 mg 1^?1, nitrate from less than 1 to 14 mg 1^?1, and chloride from less than 1 to 7 mg 1^?1. All fluoride concentrations were less than 0.1 mg 1^?1. The results indicate that precipitation at this suburban location adjacent to New York City is consistently acidic and contains concentrations of sulfate, nitrate, and chloride which are similar to values found for other locations in the northeastern United States. Positive correlations were found between nitrate and sulfate concentrations and acidity suggesting that the atmospheric contaminants, SO₂, and NO₂ are causally-related to the occurrence of acidic precipitation. Further research will be necessary to clarify the relative influence of natural and man-made sources of N and S compounds and the contributions of gaseous and particulate contaminants in the atmosphere to the acidity of precipitation at this location.     

Effects of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide on uptake and assimilation of ammonium in soybean plants

Twelve‐day‐old soybean plants were supplied with 1 mM ammonium chloride (NH₄C1) to roots and exposed to 0.2–0.25 μL.L^‐1 nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) for seven days. Amount and rate of ammonium uptake were decreased by NO₂ exposure. However, the ammonium concentration in leaves and leaf pH of exposed plants were increased by NO₂ exposure. These results suggest that the decrease in ammonium uptake may be due to the decline in hydrogen (H⁺) ion concentration in exposed plants which resulted from the reduction of the nitrate and nitrite from NO₂ absorption. They also suggest that the decrease in ammonium uptake and the competition for energy between nitrate reduction and ammonium assimilation may limit ammonium assimilation to organic nitrogen (N) which would further inhibit acidity increase in exposed plants and ammonium uptake by roots.     

Impact on Water Quality of High and Low Density Applications of Spent Mushroom Substrate to Agricultural Lands

We studied the influence of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) land application on water resources. Four study sites, including mushroom farms with low or high density land applications of SMS, and two controls, an alfalfa field and a woodland, were instrumented with soilwater lysimeters and groundwater monitoring wells. Water samples were collected during the dormant season (winter) and growing season (spring). Samples were analyzed for a number of water quality parameters, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), ammonia, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, sulfate, aluminum, cadmium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, nickel, potassium, silicon, sodium, and zinc. Additional analyses were performed for pesticides commonly used in the cultivation of alfalfa or corn, or for insect control, including methomyl, dimethoate, hexazinone, atrazine, diuron and permethrin.

All agricultural sites had elevated salt concentrations relative to the woodland site. The mushroom farm where SMS was applied in high concentrations had salt concentrations in the soilwater that were 10 to 100 times higher than the other agricultural sites. Of particular note were ammonium, nitrate, chloride, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. Each of these were also elevated in the groundwater. The high salt concentrations were reflected in measurements of electrical conductivity. DOC and DON concentrations were also elevated in the soilwater and groundwater. Groundwater from each agricultural site, including the agricultural control, exceeded the primary drinking water standard for nitrate.

No pesticide residues were detected in well or lysimeter water collected at either site amended with SMS. Water samples collected from the woodland and at the alfalfa field not receiving SMS contained part per trillion quantities of a few pesticides.     

Growth response and nitrogen metabolism of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) to vermicompost and biogas slurry under salinity stress

Sunflower was grown under saline media with or without vermicompost amendment and biogas slurry, the organic fertilizers. A randomized complete block design with five replications was used. Forty-five pots were divided in three sets comprising of 15 pots each. Out of 15 pots of each sets, five pots of each were subjected to different levels of saline water irrigation i.e. electrical conductivity (EC): 0.5, 4.8 8.6 dS/m). Amendments of vermicompost and biogas slurry have shown some reduction of sodium induced inhibitory effects. Analyses of fresh and dry weight of leaves, ions, amino acid, protein and nitrogen metabolism enzymes in leaves etc., have been undertaken with reference to above-mentioned treatments. Organic manure amendments improved growth yield, nitrate and protein content and decreased the amount of sodium (Na⁺), chloride (Cl^?), ammonium and total amino acid under saline or non-saline condition. Activities of nitrogen (N)-assimilating enzymes i.e. nitrate reducatse (NR, EC 1.6.6.1), nitrite reductase (NiR, EC 1.6.6.4), glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2) and glutamate synthase (NADH-GOGAT, EC 1.4.1.14) were enhanced to some extent irrespective to non saline or saline condition. Under salinity NADH-glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH, EC 1.4.1.2) activity was stimulated concomitantly with the increasing ammonium contents and proteolysis activity in the leaves and organic manure did not show a significant difference as compared to their respective control. With respect to salt stress, among the two above-mentioned organic manure, vermicompost showed better result in the entire studied parameter as compared to the biogas slurry.     

Effects of varying air trajectories on spatial and temporal precipitation chemistry patterns

This study was designed to determine if judicious use of synoptic data and an operational trajectory model could identify probable source regions of anthropogenic pollutants in northeastern United States precipitation and thus relate receptor measurements to emissions data without consideration of the complex intervening meteorological and chemical processes. The storm event of April 8 to 10, 1979, was selected for intensive study. Precipitation chemistry data were obtained from event samples at six MAP3S sampling sites and from hourly samples at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Concentrations of hydrogen, sulfate, nitrate and ammonium ions were used as receptor data. Some emissions data for SO_x and NO_x were obtained from the MAP3S emissions inventory. Surface and upper air meteorological data were analyzed. Backward trajectories ending at each of the sampling sites during the precipitation period were computed with the Heffter Interactive-Terminal Transport Model using selected transport layers. Results show that concentrations of pollutant species in event precipitation samples were much higher at stations at end points of trajectories passing through the Ohio River valley than at stations with other trajectories. Likewise, concentrations at Brookhaven were much higher during the end period of a trajectory through the same region than with more northerly and more southerly tracks. The model produced back trajectories consistent with synoptic flows. Concentrations of air pollutants in precipitation were roughly proportional to the number of major pollutant sources along the trajectory. These results suggest that a larger number of studies might identify more restricted source areas or even establish a quantitative relationship between source emissions along a trajectory and concentrations in precipitation at receptor sites.     

Simultaneous automated determination of chloride,nitrite, nitrate,and ammonia in water and wastewater

An automated system capable of simultaneous determination of chloride, nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia in about 2 ml of fresh water or wastewater is described. The four compounds are determined using modifications of established colorimetric procedures. Results can be reported at a true rate of five samples per hour with a relative standard deviation at optimum concentrations of less than 2%. Detection limits are 1 ppm Cl for chloride and 1, 5, and 5 ppb N for nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia, respectively. Sample pH adjustment is not required from 0.0002 N H₂SO₄ (pH 3.7) to 0.005 N NaOH (pH 11.2). Fresh water and wastewater samples were analyzed for nitrite and ammonia by the proposed procedure and by the manual sulfanilic-naphthylamine and nesslerization method. Analysis by the student t-test showed no significant difference between the paired sets of data (P > 0.5). When potable and wastewater samples were spiked with sodium chloride, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrite, and ammonium chloride and analyzed, average recoveries were 99 to 103%.     

Quantification of In Situ Denitrification Rates in Groundwater Below an Arable and a Grassland System

Growing season rain and cloud events were sampled between 1984–2010 at Lakes of the Clouds (LOC) (1,540 m above sea level (ASL)) which is 1.6 km SW of the summit of Mount Washington, NH (1,914 m ASL). Mount Washington's summit is in the clouds ca. 51 % of the time. All samples were measured for pH, while cations and anions were measured consistently from 1996 to 2010. Annual mean cloud and rain water hydrogen ion concentrations declined significantly from 1984–2010. Nighttime cloud and rain hydrogen, sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate ion concentrations were significantly greater compared to daytime. Ion mean concentrations declined over the 1996–2010 timeframe and more rapidly since 2005. Co-located filter-based aerosol measurement (PM_2.5) at LOC had higher ratios of ammonium to sulfate in summer daytime samples post (1995–2010) full implementation of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. This suggests a shift towards more neutralized sulfate aerosol dissolution into clouds with relatively more ammonium and declines in acidity. The origin of cloud water sampled, which ranges from regional fronts to orographic lower elevation air mass uplift, along with the diurnally shifting nocturnal boundary layer that often puts the LOC site in and out of the mixed layer, likely contributes to the diurnal and inter-annual variability observed.     

Atmospheric deposition in acid sensitive areas of Ireland — The influence of wind direction and a new coal burning electricity generation station on precipitation quality

Greater acidity and substantially higher annual deposition of the major ions, were recorded in the precipitation at Glencree (Co. Wicklow) on the east coast of Ireland compared to those recorded at the west coast sampling stations. The daily average deposition of hydrogen ions, non-marine sulphate and oxidized nitrogen was higher at all sampling locations when associated with air masses arriving from the east compared with those from the west, particularly at Glencree. The impact of emissions from the coal-fired power station at Moneypoint (Co.Clare) on the precipitation was negligible at all sampling locations except at Gortglass, a point 19 km to its east. At this sampling point the higher concentrations and deposition for hydrogen ion and non-marine sulphate were associated with air masses expected to show the influence of the Moneypoint power station.     

Effects of Changing Land Use from Agriculture to Forest on Stream Water Quality in a Small Basin in NW Spain

Monitoring was conducted in a basin with a history of agricultural pollution (mainly due to the spreading of livestock slurry) to evaluate the response of stream water ion concentrations to the change from agricultural land use to forest. We measured pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and major dissolved elements [phosphate (PO₄) phosphorus (P), nitrite (NO₂) nitrogen (N), nitrate (NO₃) N, ammonium (NH₄) N, silicon (Si), sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfate (SO₄), and chloride (Cl)] in the stream water during the period 1997–2002 at irregular time intervals. Median values were significantly greater in the agricultural period than in the forest period (P < 0.05). Median pH values remained slightly acidic (5.8–6) for both land uses. NO₃-N was the dominant form of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) under both land uses (agricultural use: 80 percent; forest use: 98 percent. In the forest period, the median PO₄-P and NH₄-N concentrations were reduced by 95 percent compared to the agricultural period. The median NO₂-N and K concentrations decreased by 83 percent and 70 percent, respectively, whereas NO₃-N, Cl, Na, and Si showed minor differences (decreases of 15–20 percent). These findings are consistent with the poor agricultural management practices that have been developed in the basin, especially as regards the application of slurry.     

Effects of Sewage on the Chemical Composition of Piracicaba River,Brazil

Water samples were collected from 7 locations along major rivers of Piracicaba River basin for 22 months. The 4 upstream points represent non-polluted sites and the 3 downriver points represent polluted sites. Due to sewage input, concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), major conservative cations and anions increased significantly in the polluted sites. The major increases were observed for sodium, chloride and sulfate. Nitrate was an exception for this pattern, with similar concentrations between polluted and non-polluted sites. The probable cause was reduction of nitrate to ammonium in the polluted sites, where anoxic conditions prevail. Most of the variables had an inverse correlation with water discharge, especially in the polluted points. The sewage load was diluted by precipitation and surface waters.     

Spatial and temporal variability in precipitation chemistry in the urban area of Greater Manchester

To investigate the spatial and temporal variability of acid deposition in the urban environment a small-scale intensive network of bulk collectors has been deployed around Greater Manchester, UK. This network has been in operation since 1986. The concentrations and deposition rates of non-marine (nm) sulphate, nitrate, ammonium, calcium and hydrogen are reported for 1994. Acidity was generally lower in the city centre of Manchester where calcium concentrations were highest. Calcium compounds in the urban atmosphere effectively buffer the precipitation acidity.     

Nutrient solution monitoring in greenhouse cultivation employing a potentiometric electronic tongue

This work investigates the use of electronic tongues for monitoring nutrient solution compositions in closed soilless systems. This is a horticultural technique in which the nutrient solution is continuously recirculated and an automatic recomposition system maintains the concentration of the different ions in the optimum range for the plants. Electronic tongues used in this study comprised an array of potentiometric sensors and complex data processing by artificial neural networks. A first experiment was able to carry out the simultaneous inline monitoring of ammonium, potassium, sodium, chloride, and nitrate ions during the winter. In the second and third applications, done during summer, some changes were introduced in the sensor array to improve its response toward chloride ions and to incorporate phosphate in the model. This electronic tongue was validated with real greenhouse samples and was also able to detect the variations in the ion concentrations caused by an incorrect configuration of the recomposition system.     

The Impact of Wastewater Treatment Effluent on the Biogeochemistry of the Enoree River,South Carolina,During Drought Conditions

Drought conditions should magnify the effect of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent on river biogeochemistry. This study examined the impact of WWTP effluent on the Enoree River in the piedmont region of South Carolina during a period of significant drought. The Enoree River lacks impoundments, upstream agricultural runoff, and significant industrial point sources, so the single most important human influence on river chemistry is WWTP effluent. Water samples were collected from 28 locations on the Enoree River, 13 of its tributaries, and the effluent of four WWTPs. Effluent from the WWTP furthest upstream increased the salinity of the river and temporal variation and concentrations of most ions, especially nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, sodium, and chloride. The upstream WWTP set the downstream chemical composition of the river, with increasing proportions of chloride, sodium, and sulfate and decreasing proportions of dissolved silicon and bicarbonate. Downstream WWTPs had little or no impact on the chemical composition of the river. Mixing model results show that dilution was the dominant process of the downstream decrease in solute concentrations, but in-channel uptake mechanisms also contributed to declines in concentrations of nitrate, phosphate, and carbon dioxide. Despite dilution and uptake, the chemical signature of WWTP effluent was still evident 135 km downstream. These results lead to a better understanding of the effects of WWTP effluent on the biogeochemistry of rivers.     

磷酸二氢钙和氯化钾对氯化铵处理黄泥土水溶性铵态氮和硝态氮的影响

氮磷钾是农业生产中大量施用并且经常共同施用的肥料,三者在土壤中的相互作用对养分的迁移转化、吸收和代谢有着深远影响.本文模拟生产中氮磷钾肥料同施,研究了田间持水量条件下磷酸二氢钙、氯化钾对氯化铵处理土壤水溶性铵态氮和硝态氮的影响.结果表明,铵态氮施入土壤后,随着培养时间的延长,土壤中水溶性铵态氮含量下降,硝态氮含量升高,两者之间存在着显著相关性.磷酸二氢钙延缓了铵态氮向其他形态氮的转变,使培养中期土壤水溶性铵态氮显著高于氯化铵处理土壤,并对培养中后期硝态氮的增加有抑制作用.氯化钾增加了培养前中期氯化铵处理土壤铵态含量,但显著抑制了氯化铵处理土壤培养后期硝态氮的含量.因此,农业生产中氯化铵和氯化钾共施,氯化铵和磷酸二氢钙共施,氯化铵、氯化钾和磷酸二氢钙共施,对提高氮肥利用率,降低硝态氮淋失损失均有重要作用.     

Nitrate Reductase,Micronutrients and Upland Rice Development as Influenced by Soil pH and Nitrogen Sources

The average yield of upland rice under no-tillage system (NTS), a sustainable soil management, is lower than in conventional tillage (one plowing and two disking). One of the reasons given for this drop in crop grain yield would be the low-nitrate assimilation capacity of rice seedlings, due to the low activity of the nitrate reductase (NR) enzyme in the early development phase. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of the soil acidic and nitrogen source in the micronutrient concentrations, NR activity and grain yield of upland rice growing under NTS. The soil used in the experiment was an Oxisol. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 3 × 4. Treatments consisted of three levels of soil acidity (high, medium, and low) combined with four nitrogen sources (nitrate, ammonium, ammonium + nitrification inhibitor, and control – without N fertilization). The reduction of soil acidity reduced the concentration of zinc and manganese in rice plants. Generally, the activity of the NR enzyme was higher in plants grown in soils with low acidity and fertilized with calcium nitrate. There was a greater response in growth and yield in rice plants grown in soils with high acidity. Under medium acidity, rice plants grown with ammonium sulfate were more productive (no differences were detected with the addition of the nitrification inhibitor).     

MAJOR PATHWAYS FOR NITROGEN REMOVAL IN WASTE WATER STABILIZATION PONDS

A study on the factors influencing nitrogen removal in waste water stabilization ponds was undertaken in an eight-pond series in Werribee, Australia. Nitrogen species including Kjeldahl nitrogen, total ammonia nitrogen, nitrite and nitrate were monitored monthly from March 1993 to January 1994. At the same time, pH, temperature, chlorophylla content and dissolved oxygen were also recorded. Highest nitrogen removal occurred during the period with highest levels of chlorophylla content and dissolved oxygen, but the rate of nitrogen removal was not related to temperature and pH. Enhanced photosynthetic activities resulting from an increased phytoplankton abundance due to prolonged detention time caused an increase in dissolved oxygen, and created an optimum condition for nitrification to occur. In this process, ammonia was oxidized to nitrite and nitrate which were subsequently reduced to elemental nitrogen. Apart from nitrification-denitrification which was the major nitrogen removal pathway in the study system, algal uptake of ammonium, nitrate and nitrite as nutrient sources also contributed to the nitrogen removal. The role of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the treatment process in waste stabilization ponds was discussed.