Fog and Precipitation Chemistry at Mt. Rokko in Kobe, April 1997-March 1998

Fog water and precipitation were collected and analyzed to study fog and precipitation chemistry. The research was carried out through one year from April 1997 to March 1998 at Mt. Rokko in Kobe. Higher fog occurrence and larger volume of fog water were observed in summer, corresponding to the trend of seasonal variation in precipitation amount. The annual mean pH value of fog water (3.80) was lower by ca. one pH unit than that of precipitation (4.74). The concentration of chemical species in fog water was ca. 7 times that in precipitation. The highest anion and cation concentrations were SO₄ ^2? and NH₄ ⁺ in fog water and Cl^? and Na⁺ in precipitation, although the Cl^?/Na⁺ equivalent ratio in both fog water and precipitation was almost the same value as that in sea water. It is considered that in the longest fog event, NH₄ ⁺ and nss-SO₄ ^2? in fog water mainly scavenged as (NH₄)₂SO₄, mainly derived from (NH₄)₂SO₄ (aerosol) in the atmosphere, NH₃ was scavenged at the growing stage, and SO₂ was also scavenged after the mature stage. NO₃ ^? in this fog event was mainly absorbed as HNO₃.     

Cloud Water Deposition to Forest Canopies of Cryptomeria Japonica at Mt.Rokko, Kobe, Japan

Cloud water deposition to canopies of Cryptomeria japonica at Mt.Rokko, Kobe, Japan, was estimated from throughfall measurements and fog water collections carried out during a full year. Annual cloud frequency was 11.5–15.5% and liquid water content (LWC) was 0.059 g/m³. Since cloud water deposition on to forest canopies was significantly correlated with the amount of fog water collected, the former parameter could be quantitatively derived from throughfall measurements. Annual cloud water deposition on to Cryptomeria canopies was 1420–2860 mm (Av. 2140 mm), corresponding to 90–180% (Av. 122%) of annual rainfall. The rate of deposition was higher at the mountain ridge and the forest edge than at the mountain side and the forest interior. Annual deposition of SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^?, H⁺ and NH₄ ⁺ from cloud water was estimated as 204, 153, 2.5 and 58 kg/ha, respectively, equivalent to 5.8–11.7 times the corresponding deposition via rain. The values are equal to, or exceed, the maximum deposition reported for Appalachian forests in the eastern United States. Multiple regression analyses indicate that cloud water deposition on to Cryptomeria canopies was significantly correlated with the following three parameters: cloud frequency, LWC, and wind speed. Thus, these three factors apparently control cloud water deposition on to forest canopies.     

Chemical Characterization of Acid Fog and Rain in Northern Japan Using Back Trajectory and Oblique Rotational Factor Analysis

Fog/cloud and rain water were collected at the mountainside of Hachimantai range in northern Japan and rain water was also collected at Akita City in order to investigate the air pollutant scavenging mechanism. The concentrations of various ions in these samples were analyzed, and the fog drop size and the wind direction were measured at each fog event. The fog at Hachimantai range had a very high total ion concentration, and was considerably acidified by non sea salt (nss-) SO₄ ^2? and NO₃ ^?, compared with the rain at Akita and all sites in Hachimantai range. Using the oblique rotational factor analysis, three factors were extracted as the air pollutants; A: (NH₄)₂SO₄+H₂SO₄, B: sea salts+HNO₃+H₂SO₄, C: NH₄NO₃+OH^?. These salts are well-known as the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Combining the factor analysis with the 72h back trajectory at 850hPa level, the contribution of Factor A was closely connected to the long-range transportation of anthropogenic or natural aerosol in air masses of continental origin.     

Air Pollution Processing by Radiation Fogs

Several fog episodes occurred in California’s San Joaquin Valley during winter 2000/2001. Measurements revealed the fogs to generally be less than 50 m deep, but to contain high liquid water contents (frequently exceeding 200 mg/m³) and large droplets. The composition of the fog water was dominated by ammonium (median concentration?=?608 μN), nitrate (304 μN), and organic carbon (6.9 ppmC), with significant contributions also from nitrite (18 μN) and sulfate (56 μN). Principal organic species included formate (median concentration?=?32 μN), acetate (31 μN), and formaldehyde (21 μM). High concentrations of ammonia resulted in high fog pH values, ranging between 5.8 and 8.0 at the core measurement site. At this high pH aqueous phase oxidation of dissolved sulfur dioxide and reaction of S(IV) with formaldehyde to form hydroxymethanesulfonate are both important processes. The fogs are also effective at scavenging and removal of airborne particulate matter. Deposition velocities for key solutes in the fog are typically of the order of 1–2 cm/s, much higher than deposition velocities of precursor accumulation mode aerosol particles. Variations were observed in deposition velocities for individual constituents in the order NO₂ ^??>?fogwater?>?NH₄ ⁺?>?TOC ～ SO₄ ^2??>?NO₃ ^?. Nitrite, observed to be enriched in large fog drops, had a deposition velocity higher than the average fogwater deposition velocity, due to the increase in drop settling velocity with size. Species enriched in small fog drops (NH₄ ⁺, TOC, SO₄ ^2?, and NO₃ ^?) all had deposition velocities smaller than observed for fogwater. Typical boundary layer removal rates for major fog solute species were estimated to be approximately 0.5–1 μg m^?3 h^?1, indicating the important role regional fogs can play in reducing airborne pollutant concentrations.     

Long-Term Annual and Seasonal Patterns of Acidic Deposition and Stream Water Quality in a Great Smoky Mountains High-Elevation Watershed

The recovery potential of stream acidification from years of acidic deposition is dependent on biogeochemical processes and varies among different acid-sensitive regions. Studies that investigate long-term trends and seasonal variability of stream chemistry in the context of atmospheric deposition and watershed setting provide crucial assessments on governing biogeochemical processes. In this study, water chemistries were investigated in Noland Divide watershed (NDW), a high-elevation watershed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) of the southern Appalachian region. Monitoring data from 1991 to 2007 for deposition and stream water chemistries were statistically analyzed for long-term trends and seasonal patterns by using Seasonal Kendall Tau tests. Precipitation declined over this study period, where throughfall (TF) declined significantly by 5.76?cm?year^?1. Precipitation patterns play a key role in the fate and transport of acid pollutants. On a monthly volume-weighted basis, pH of TF and wet deposition, and stream water did not significantly change over time remaining around 4.3, 4.7, and 5.8, respectively. Per NDW area, TF SO₄ ^2- flux declined 356.16?eq?year^?1 and SO₄ ^2- concentrations did not change significantly over time. Stream SO₄ ^2- remained about 30???eq L^?1 exhibiting no long-term trends or seasonal patterns. SO₄ ^2- retention was generally greater during drier months. TF monthly volume-weighted NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^- concentrations significantly increased by 0.80???eq L^?1?year^?1 and 1.24???eq L^?1?year^?1, respectively. TF NH₄ ⁺ fluxes increased by 95.76?eq?year^?1. Most of NH₄ ⁺ was retained in the watershed, and NO₃ ^- retention was much lower than NH₄ ⁺. Stream monthly volume-weighted NO₃ ^- concentrations and fluxes significantly declined by 0.56???eq L^?1?year^?1 and 139.56?eq?year^?1, respectively. Overall, in NDW, inorganic nitrogen was exported before 1999 and retained since then, presumably from forest regrowth after Frazer fir die-off in the 1970s from balsam wooly adelgid infestation. Stream export of NO₃ ^- was greater during winter than summer months. During the period from 1999 to 2007, stream base cations did not exhibit significant changes, apparently regulated by soil supply. Statistical models predicting stream pH, ANC, SO₄ ^2-, and NO₃ ^- concentrations were largely correlated with stream discharge and number of dry days between precipitation events and SO₄ ^2- deposition. Dependent on precipitation, governing biogeochemical processes in NDW appear to be SO₄ ^2- adsorption, nitrification, and NO₃ ^- forest uptake. This study provided essential information to aid the GRSM management for developing predictive models of the future water quality and potential impacts from climate change.     

Fog- and Rainwater Chemistry in the Tropical Seasonal Rain Forest of Xishuangbanna, Southwest China

Fogwater, fog drip and rainwater chemistry were examined at a tropical seasonal rain forest in Xishuangbanna, southwest China between November 2001 and October 2002. During the period of observation, 204 days with the occurrence of radiation fog were observed and the total duration of fog was 1949 h, of which 1618 h occurred in the dry season (November to April), accounting for 37.0% of the time during the season. The mean pH of fogwater, fog drip and rainwater were 6.78, 7.30, and 6.13, respectively. The ion with the highest concentration for fog- and rainwater was HCO₃ ^?, which amounted to 85.2 and 37.3 μeq l^?1, followed by Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and NH₄ ⁺. Concentrations of NO₃ ^?, HCO₃ ^?, NH₄ ⁺, Ca²⁺, and K⁺ in fogwater samples collected in the dry season were significantly greater when compared to those collected in the rainy season. It was found that the ionic concentrations in fog drip were higher than those in fogwater, except for NH₄ ⁺ and H⁺, which was attributed to the washout of the soil- and ash-oriented ions deposited on the leaves and the alkaline ionic emissions by the leaves, since biomass burns are very common in the region and nearby road was widening.     

Nutrient Input Through Occult and Wet Deposition into a Subtropical Montane Cloud Forest

Chemical composition of fog and rain water was studied during a 47-day experimental period. The differences between the fog and rain water were found to be significantly for most analyzed ions. H⁺, NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ^?, and SO₄ ^2? made up 85% of the total median ion concentration in fog and 84% in rain water. The total mean equivalent concentration was 15 times higher in the fog than in the rain water. The fog water samples were classified according to their air mass history. The analysis of the 120 h backward trajectory led to the identification of three advection regimes. Significant differences of ion concentrations between the respective classes were found. Air masses of class I travelled exclusively over the Pacific Ocean, class II were carried over the Philippines, and class III were advected from mainland China. The turbulent fog water deposition was determined by the means of the eddy covariance method. The total (turbulent plus gravitational) fog water fluxes ranged between +31.7 mg m^?2 s^?1 and ?56.6 mg m^?2 s^?1. Fog water droplets with mean diameters between 15 μm and 25 μm contributed most to the liquid water flux. The sample based nutrient input was calculated on the basis of the occult and wet deposition, and the concentrations of the simultaneously collected fog and rainwater samples, respectively. The nutrient input through wet deposition was about 13 times higher than through occult deposition.     

Influence of alkaline particulates on the chemistry of fog water at Delhi,North India

Chemical analysis of fog water collected by impaction in a pre-cooled chamber in Delhi has shown high concentrations of major ions. The dominant ions measured were Na⁺, K⁺, Ca⁺², and Mg⁺². The concentrations of acidic ions, SO₄ ^?2 and NO₃ ^?, were low. The pH values in the fog water were highly alkaline and varied from 6.4 to 7.6. The high concentrations of soil-oriented components, especially Ca⁺², were more than sufficient to neutralize the small acidity in the fog water and were responsible for maintaining high alkaline pH. The pH values of fog water did not attain the low values in India (Delhi), as found in other polluted environments of Europe and the northeast United States.     

Chloride interference in total nitrogen analysis by the Kjeldahl method

Abstract

Very low recovery of NH₄+‐N was observed in total N determination of (NH₄)₂SO₄ in KC1 solutions by a semimicro Kjeldahl method using permanganate and reduced iron to recover NO₃‐ and NO₂‐, whereas complete recovery was obtained in analysis of NH₄+‐N in water, and of NO₃ ^?‐N or NO₂ ^?‐N in either water or KC1 solutions. The loss of NH₄ ⁺‐N observed with KC1 was attributed to the formation of NCl₃ upon reaction of NH₄ ⁺ with Cl₂ generated during oxidation of Cl^? by MnO₄ ^?. This difficulty is avoided by using K₂SO₄ instead of KC1 for extraction of inorganic N from soil. Complete recovery was obtained by adding ¹⁵N‐labeled NH₄+, NO₃‐, or NO₂‐ to 0.5 M K₂SO₄ soil extracts, and total ¹⁵N analyses of the labeled extracts were in good agreement with values calculated from the additions of ¹⁵N and the total N contents of the soil extracts.     

Difference in the Use of a Quartz Filter and a PTFE Filter as First-Stage Filter in the Four-Stage Filter-Pack Method

We evaluated the differences in the use of a quartz filter and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filter as a first (F0)-stage filter in a four-stage filter-pack method. A four-stage filter-pack method can completely collect sulfur species (SO₂ and SO ₄ ^2? ), nitrate species (HNO₃ and NO ₃ ^? ), and ammonium species (NH₃ and NH ₄ ⁺ ) with little or no leakage irrespectively of the first-stage filter used. On the other hand, a seasonal variation was observed in the efficiency of collection between the quartz filter and the PTFE filter depending on the material to be collected. There was no seasonal variation in the efficiency of collection in sulfur species; in contrast, a clear seasonal variation was observed for the nitrate and ammonium species. As for NO ₃ ^? , the PTFE filter was more vulnerable than the quartz filter at air temperatures below 21°C, while the quartz filter was more vulnerable than the PTFE filter at air temperatures exceeding 21°C. A similar vulnerability for air temperature was observed for NH ₄ ⁺ , although the threshold air temperature was 23°C for NH ₄ ⁺ . Consequently, the evaporation loss of NO ₃ ^? would be mainly attributable to the volatilization of NH₄NO₃, although it is also partially due to the volatilization of NH₄Cl.     

Chemical Characteristics of Fog Water at Mt. Tateyama, Near the Coast of the Japan Sea in Central Japan

Measurements of the chemical composition of fog water at Murododaira (altitude, 2,450 m), on the western slope of Mt. Tateyama near the coast of the Japan Sea, were performed each autumn from 2004 through 2007. Strong acidic fogs (pH?<?4) containing high concentrations of nssSO ₄ ^2? were frequently observed in the autumn of 2005, when the air mass at Mt. Tateyama originated mainly from the polluted regions of Asia. The ratio of NO ₃ ^? /nssSO ₄ ^2? in fog water was relatively high in 2004 and 2007. High concentrations of nssCa²⁺ derived from dust particles were detected in 2006. Background Kosa particles might have been predominant in the free troposphere and could have neutralized acidic fogs in the autumn of 2006. High concentrations of sea-salt components were also observed in October 2005. The sea-salt particles might have been transported from the Pacific Ocean by a strong typhoon, and significant Mg²⁺ loss was observed. Peroxides higher than 100 μM, which are seriously harmful to vegetation were sometimes detected.     

Does the potential ammonium fixation of soils have an impact on the optimum nitrogen fertilizer rate?

Field experiments were conducted to determine the effect of nitrogen (N) fertilizer forms and doses on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on three soils differing in their ammonium (NH₄) fixation capacity [high = 161 mg fixed NH₄-N kg^?1 soil, medium = 31.5 mg fixed NH₄-N kg^?1 soil and no = nearly no fixed NH₄-N kg^?1 soil]. On high NH₄⁺ fixing soil, 80 kg N ha^?1 Urea+ ammonium nitrate [NH₄NO₃] or 240 kg N ha^?1 ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄]+(NH₄)₂SO₄, was required to obtain the maximum yield. Urea + NH₄NO₃ generally showed the highest significance in respect to the agronomic efficiency of N fertilizers. In the non NH₄⁺ fixing soil, 80 kg N ha^?1 urea+NH₄NO₃ was enough to obtain high grain yield. The agronomic efficiency of N fertilizers was generally higher in the non NH₄⁺ fixing soil than in the others. Grain protein was highly affected by NH₄⁺ fixation capacities and N doses. Harvest index was affected by the NH₄⁺ fixation capacity at the 1% significance level.     

Long-Term Observation of Fogwater Composition at two Mountainous Sites in Gunma Prefecture, Japan

We made serial observations on acid fog at Mt. Akagi and Mt. Haruna, Japan for 5 years. The altitudes of the sampling sites were 1500 m (Mt. Akagi) and 1200 m (Mt. Haruna) above sea level, and the sites were approximately 30 km apart. The average liquid water content (LWC) at Mt. Akagi and Mt. Haruna was 74 mg m^?3 and 63 mg m^?3, respectively. The pH of fogwater was 2.72–7.14 (mean 3.71) at Mt. Akagi and 2.94–6.58 (mean 3.73) at Mt. Haruna. Our long-term observations indicate that there was no significant difference in the chemical components in fogwater at both sites except for ammonium ion. However, there were some cases where the chemical components of fogwater at each site were differed remarkably even in the concurrent fog event. Nitrate and sulfate ions contributed to acidification of fogwater at Mts. Akagi and Haruna and 95% of sulfate ion in the fogwater originated from air pollution. Ammonia gas in the air was the main neutralizer of acidity in fogwater. When absorption of excessive nitric acid gas over ammonia gas in the air occurred, the pH of fogwater was lowered. Our back trajectory analysis indicated that the fogwater at Mt. Akagi was mainly affected by an air mass from the Kanto Plain, including Tokyo, while the fogwater at Mt. Haruna was influenced by an air mass from large, western cities, such as Nagoya and Osaka, as well as Tokyo.     

Evalution of Acid Deposition in Korea

This study was carried out to evaluate acid depositions and to understand their effect. Wet precipitation has been collected at twenty-four sites in Korea for one year of 1999. The ion concentrations such as H⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, NH₄ ⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl^?, NO₃ ^? and SO₄ ^2? were chemically analyzed and determined. Precipitation had wide range of pH(3.5～8.5), and volume-weighted average was 5.2. The contribution amounts of Cl^?, SO₄ ^2? and NO₃ ^? in anion were shown to be 54%, 32%, and 14%, respectively and those of Na⁺ and NH₄ ⁺ in cation were 32% and 25%. The ratios of Cl^? and Mg²⁺ to Na⁺ in precipitation were similar to those of seawater, which imply that great amount of Cl^? and Mg²⁺ in precipitation could be originated from seawater. The concentration of H⁺ is little related with SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^? and Cl^? ions, whereas nss^?SO₄ ^2? and NO₃ ^? are highly correlated with NH₄ ⁺, which could suggest that great amount of SO₄ ^2? and NO₃ ^? exist in the form of ammonium associated salt. The annual wet deposition amounts (g m^?2year^?1) of SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^?, Cl^?, H⁺, NH₄ ⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ were estimated as 0.88～4.89, 0.49～4.37, 0.30～9.80, 0.001～0.031, 0.06～2.15, 0.27～4.27, 0.10～3.81, 0.23～1.59 and 0.03～0.63.     

Precipitation Composition in the Ohio River Valley: Spatial Variability and Temporal Trends

Sulfate (SO₄ ^2?), nitrate (NO₃ ^?) and ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) concentrations in precipitation as measured at NADP sites within the Ohio River Valley of the Midwestern USA between 1985 and 2002 are quantified and temporal trends attributed to changes/ variations in (i) the precipitation regime, (ii) emission patterns and (iii) air mass trajectories. The results indicate that mean SO₄ ^2? concentrations in precipitation declined by 37–43% between 1985 and 2002, while NO₃ ^? concentrations decreased by 1–32%, and NH₄ ⁺ concentrations exhibited declining concentrations at some sites and increasing concentrations at others. The change in SO₄ ^2? concentrations is in broad agreement with estimated reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions. Changes in NO₃ ^? concentrations appear to be less closely related to variations in emissions of oxides of nitrogen and exhibit a stronger dependence on weekly precipitation volume. Up to one quarter of the variability in log-transformed weekly NO₃ ^? concentrations in precipitation is explicable by variations in precipitation volume. Trends in annual average log-transformed SO₄ ^2? concentrations exhibit only a relatively small influence of variability in weekly precipitation amount but at each of the sites considered the variance explanation of annual average log-transformed SO₄ ^2? by sampling year was increased by removing the influence of precipitation volume. Annual mean log-transformed ion concentrations detrended for precipitation volume (by week) and emission changes (by year) exhibit positive correlations at all sites, indicating that the residual variability of SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^? and NH₄ ⁺ may have a common source which is postulated to be linked to synoptic scale variability and air mass trajectories.     

Comparison of Factors Affecting Soil Nitrate Nitrogen and Ammonium Nitrogen Extraction

Extraction of soil nitrate nitrogen (NO₃ ^?-N) and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄ ⁺-N) by chemical reagents and their determinations by continuous flow analysis were used to ascertain factors affecting analysis of soil mineral N. In this study, six factors affecting extraction of soil NO₃ ^?-N and NH₄ ⁺-N were investigated in 10 soils sampled from five arable fields in autumn and spring in northwestern China, with three replications for each soil sample. The six factors were air drying, sieve size (1, 3, and 5 mm), extracting solution [0.01 mol L^?1 calcium chloride (CaCl₂), 1 mol L^?1 potassium chloride (KCl), and 0.5 mol L^?1 potassium sulfate (K₂SO₄)] and concentration (0.5, 1, and 2 mol L^?1 KCl), solution-to-soil ratio (5:1, 10:1, and 20:1), shaking time (30, 60, and 120 min), storage time (2, 4, and 6 weeks), and storage temperature (?18 ^oC, 4 ^oC, and 25 ^oC) of extracted solution. The recovery of soil NO₃ ^?-N and NH₄ ⁺-N was also measured to compare the differences of three extracting reagents (CaCl₂, KCl, and K₂SO₄) for NO₃ ^?-N and NH₄ ⁺-N extraction. Air drying decreased NO₃ ^?-N but increased NH₄ ⁺-N concentration in soil. Soil passed through a 3-mm sieve and shaken for 60 min yielded greater NO₃ ^?-N and NH₄ ⁺-N concentrations compared to other treatments. The concentrations of extracted NO₃ ^?-N and NH₄ ⁺-N in soil were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by extracting reagents. KCl was found to be most suitable for NO₃ ^?-N and NH₄ ⁺-N extraction, as it had better recovery for soil mineral N extraction, which averaged 113.3% for NO₃ ^?-N and 94.9% for NH₄ ⁺-N. K₂SO₄ was not found suitable for NO₃ ^?-N extraction in soil, with an average recovery as high as 137.0%, and the average recovery of CaCl₂ was only 57.3% for NH₄ ⁺-N. For KCl, the concentration of extracting solution played an important role, and 0.5 mol L^?1 KCl could fully extract NO₃ ^?-N. A ratio of 10:1 of solution to soil was adequate for NO₃ ^?-N extraction, whereas the NH₄ ⁺-N concentration was almost doubled when the solution-to-soil ratio was increased from 5:1 to 20:1. Storage of extracted solution at ?18 °C, 4 °C, and 25 °C had no significant effect (P < 0.05) on NO₃ ^?-N concentration, whereas the NH₄ ⁺-N concentration varied greatly with storage temperature. Storing the extracted solution at ?18 ^oC obtained significantly (P < 0.05) similar results with that determined immediately for both NO₃ ^?-N and NH₄ ⁺-N concentrations. Compared with the immediate extraction, the averaged NO₃ ^?-N concentration significantly (P < 0.05) increased after storing 2, 4, and 6 weeks, respectively, whereas NH₄ ⁺-N varied in the two seasons. In conclusion, using fresh soil passed through a 3-mm sieve and extracted by 0.5 mol L^?1 KCl at a solution-to-soil ratio of 10:1 was suitable for extracting NO₃ ^?-N, whereas the concentration of extracted NH₄ ⁺-N varied with KCl concentration and increased with increasing solution-to-soil ratio. The findings also suggest that shaking for 60 min and immediate determination or storage of soil extract at ?18 ^oC could improve the reliability of NO₃ ^?-N and NH₄ ⁺-N results.     

Chemical Composition of Precipitation, Throughfall and Soil Solutions at Two Forested Sites in Guangzhou, South China

Rain water at two forested sites in Guangzhou (south China) show high concentrations of SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^? and Ca²⁺ and display a remarkable seasonal variation, with acid rain being more important during the spring and summer than during the autumn and winter. The amount of acid rain represents about 95% of total precipitation. The sources of pollutants from which acid rain developed includes both locally derived and long-middle distance transferred atmosphere pollutants. The seasonal variation in precipitation chemistry was largely related to the increasing neutralizing capacity of base cations in rainwater in winter. Soil acidification is highlighted by high H⁺ and Al³⁺ concentrations in soil solutions. The variation in elemental concentration in soil solution was related to nitrification (H⁺, NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^?) and cation exchange reaction (H⁺, Al³⁺) in soil. The negative effect of soil acidification is partly dampened by substantial deposition of base cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺) in this area.     

Effect of Environmental Conditions on Chemical Profile of Stream Water in Sanctuary Forest Area

This study reports the evaluation of chemical composition of a Black Vistula and White Vistula streams’ waters taking into consideration both geological conditions of the stream’s catchment area and different water’ level related to seasonal variations in particular catchment ecosystem (high stage: beginning of the vegetation period; medium stage: vegetation period; low stage: final time of vegetation period). The complex data matrix (744 observations), obtained by the determination of major inorganic analytes (Cl^?, NO₃ ^?, SO₄ ^2?, NH₄ ⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) in water samples by ion chromatography was treated by linear discriminant analysis and non-parametrical testing. In case of both streams obtained results indicate presence of two discriminant functions (DFs). The data variance explained by DFs is as follows: Black Vistula stream—first DF: 93.5%, second DF: 6.5%; White Vistula stream—first DF: 66.3%, second DF: 33.7%. In case of Black Vistula stream first DF allows distinction of medium, high and low waterstage related samples while second DF between high/low and medium water stage related samples. In case of White Vistula stream first DF allowed to distinguish between medium/high and low water stage related samples while second DF between medium and high water level samples. In case of both streams, the most informative DFs were related to geological conditions of investigated catchments (contents of Cl^?, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, SO₄ ^2?), while the second to nutrient biocycle (mainly NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^?) related to slope’s exposition and inclination.     

Inorganic sulphate extraction from SO2-impacted Andosols

Sulphate sorption on to the surface of short‐range ordered minerals and precipitation of Al‐hydroxy sulphate contribute to the acid neutralizing capacity of soils. The correct measurement of total inorganic sulphate is thus essential in soils that are accumulating SO₄^2– anions. We extracted SO₄^2– by various solutions, namely 0.005 m Ca(NO₃)₂, 0.016 m KH₂PO₄, 0.5 m NH₄F and 0.2 m acidic NH₄‐oxalate (pH 3), from Vitric and Eutric Andosols exposed to prolonged deposition of acid and SO₂ from an active volcano (Masaya, Nicaragua). We attributed sulphate extractable by KH₂PO₄ (20–3030 mg kg^?1) to anion‐exchangeable SO₄^2–, which was much smaller than NH₄F‐ and oxalate‐extractable SO₄^2– (400–9680 and 410–10 480 mg kg^?1, respectively). Our results suggest the occurrence of a sparingly soluble Al‐hydroxy‐mineral phase extractable by both NH₄F and oxalate. The formation of Al‐hydroxy minerals would result from the combination of enhanced weathering caused by strong acid loading and simultaneous occurrence of large SO₄^2– concentrations in soil solution. Oxalate extracted slightly more inorganic SO₄^2– than did NH₄F, this additional amount of SO₄^2– correlating strongly with oxalate‐extractable Si and Fe contents. Preferential occlusion of SO₄^2– by short‐range ordered minerals, especially ferrihydrite, explains this behaviour. If we exclude the contribution of occluded sulphate then oxalate and NH₄F mobilize similar amounts of SO₄^2– and are believed to mobilize all of the inorganic SO₄^2– pool.     

Geochemical Distribution of Selected Heavy Metals in Stream Sediments Affected by Tannery Activities

Bayesian regularized back-propagation neural network (BRBPNN) was developed for trend analysis, acidity and chemical composition of precipitation in North Carolina using precipitation chemistry data in NADP. This study included two BRBPNN application problems: (i) the relationship between precipitation acidity (pH) and other ions (NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ^?, SO₄ ^2?, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Cl^? and Na⁺) was performed by BRBPNN and the achieved optimal network structure was 8-15-1. Then the relative importance index, obtained through the sum of square weights between each input neuron and the hidden layer of BRBPNN(8-15-1), indicated that the ions' contribution to the acidity declined in the order of NH₄ ⁺ > SO₄ ^2? > NO₃ ^?; and (ii) investigations were also carried out using BRBPNN with respect to temporal variation of monthly mean NH₄ ⁺, SO₄ ^2? and NO₃ ^? concentrations and their optimal architectures for the 1990–2003 data were 4-6-1, 4-6-1 and 4-4-1, respectively. All the estimated results of the optimal BRBPNNs showed that the relationship between the acidity and other ions or that between NH₄ ⁺, SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^? concentrations with regard to precipitation amount and time variable was obviously nonlinear, since in contrast to multiple linear regression (MLR), BRBPNN was clearly better with less error in prediction and of higher correlation coefficients. Meanwhile, results also exhibited that BRBPNN was of automated regularization parameter selection capability and may ensure the excellent fitting and robustness. Thus, this study laid the foundation for the application of BRBPNN in the analysis of acid precipitation.