How damaging is acid rain? Current opinions differ widely, in part because for every proposed link between acid rain and adverse environmental effects an alternative explanation based on other phenomena can be or has been proposed, and in many cases cannot be readily dismissed. The specific areas addressed in this volume include the emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides, precipitation chemistry, atmospheric sulfates and visibility, surface water chemistry, sediment chemistry and abundance of diatom taxa, fish populations, and forest productivity. The book then draws conclusions about the acid deposition-phenomenon relationship, identifying phenomena which are directly acid deposition-caused and suggesting others apparently caused by human activities unrelated to acid deposition.
Author(s): National Research Council Staff; Environmental Studies Board
Publisher: National Academies Press
Year: 1983
Language: English
Pages: 391
City: Washington, D.C.
Tags: Acid rain -- North America, Eastern;Meteorology -- North America, Eastern;Weather
Acid Deposition
Copyright
Preface
Contents
Summary
STATUS OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
Data
Meteorological Processes
Models
ISSUES
Applicability of Models To Decisions On Control Strategy
Nonlinearity
Influences of Local and Distant Sources
IMPLICATIONS FOR EMISSION-CONTROL STRATEGIES
RESEARCH NEEDS
1 Introduction
DEPOSITION ACIDITY
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
Physical and Chemical States of Deposited Materials
Reversibility and Irreversibility
OTHER RELATED REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION PHENOMENA
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
NOTES
REFERENCES
2 Atmospheric Processes. TRANSPORT AND MIXINGCHEMICAL TRANSFORMATION
Homogeneous Gas-Phase Reactions
Homogeneous Aqueous-Phase Reactions
Relative Roles of Gaseous- and Aqueous-Phase Chemistry
DEPOSITION
Dry Deposition
Wet Deposition
Attachment Processes
REFERENCES
3 Theoretical Models of Regional Air Quality
MATERIAL BALANCE
DETERMINISTIC MODELS
Treatment of Transport and Mixing
Treatment of Transformation Chemistry
Treatment of Dry and Wet Deposition
Linearity or Nonlinearity in Theoretical Models
Physical Processes
Chemical Processes
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES. 4 Empirical Observations and Source-Receptor RelationshipsAEROMETRIC DATA AND THEIR LIMITATIONS
RELATIONSHIPS AMONG AEROMETRIC PARAMETERS
THE INFLUENCE OF METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
Classification of Meteorological Conditions
Air-Mass Trajectories
STATISTICAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS
Regression on Principal Components
Empirical Orthogonal-Function Analysis
Elemental-Tracer Analysis
ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL TRENDS
ANALYSIS OF RELATIVE BEHAVIOR OF SULFUR AND NITROGEN EMISSIONS
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
Nonlinearity
Influence of Local and Distant Sources
REFERENCES
5 Research Needs. FIELD STUDIESCloud Processes
Studies of Chemical Mechanisms
Dry Deposition
Tracers
Meteorological Studies
LABORATORY STUDIES
DEVELOPMENT OF THEORETICAL MODELS
Appendix A The Chemistry of Acid Formation
GAS-PHASE REACTIONS LEADING TO GENERATION OF ACID IN THE TROPOSPHERE
Oxidation By Stable Atmospheric Molecules
Reactive Transient Species in the Troposphere
Atmospheric Oxidation of SO2 by Reactive Transient Species
Atmospheric Oxidation of NO2 by Reactive Transient Species
Theoretical Rates of SO2 and NO2 Conversion To H2SO4 and HONO2 Through Gas-Phase Reactions in the Troposphere. THE SOLUTION-PHASE OXIDATION OF SO2 IN THE TROPOSPHEREAqueous-Phase Oxidation of SO2
Comparison of Reaction Pathways For Solution-Phase Oxidation of SO2
Solution-Phase Generation of Nitric and Nitrous Acids in the Troposphere
SUMMARY
REFERENCES
Appendix B Transport and Dispersion Processes
CLASSIFICATION OF TRANSPORT PHENOMENA
LOCAL AND MESOSCALE TRANSPORT
SYNOPTIC-OR CONTINENTAL-SCALE TRANSPORT
HEMISPHERIC OR GLOBAL TRANSPORT
CONCLUSIONS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
REFERENCES
Appendix C Atmospheric Deposition Processes
1. INTRODUCTION
2. DRY-DEPOSITION PROCESSES.
