Abstract
The pH of precipitation, and the concentrations in precipitation and depositions by precipitation of H+, major cations, N, S, and chloride were measured in bulk collectors at three sites in Eastern England. The Rothamsted site is 100 km from the coast in a semi-urban environment. The Saxmundham site is 13 km and the Woburn site 120 km from the coast; both are in rural environments. Precipitation is acidic at all three sites, with a pH of 4.3 at Rothamsted and 5.0 at Saxmundham and Woburn at present, but the pH has been increasing. Precipitation chemistry is chiefly controlled by sea-salts (Na, Mg, Cl) and earth salts (K, Ca, Mg, NH4, N03). Sea-salts dominate near the coast at Saxmundham, but earth salts become much more important inland at Rothamsted and at Woburn. The concentration and deposition of non-sea Cl are increasing at Rothamsted and Saxmundham, those of non-sea SO4-S are increasing at Woburn, and those of NO3-N are increasing at all of the sites. Precipitation acidity is associated chiefly with non-sea SO4, and only a little with NO3 and non-sea Cl, at Rothamsted and Woburn. At Saxmundham, no correlation between acidity and anions is observed, presumably because of the overwhelming effect of sea-salts.
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Goulding, K.W.T., Poulton, P.R., Thomas, V.H. et al. Atmospheric deposition at Rothamsted, Saxmundham, and Woburn experimental stations, England, 1969–1984. Water Air Soil Pollut 29, 27–49 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00149327
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00149327