Trace metal determination in total atmospheric deposition in rural and urban areas

Abstract

International audienceThe wet, dry and total atmospheric depositions of some metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Na, Pb and Zn) were sampled at two sites and atmospheric fallout fluxes were determined for these locations. This work, led by two different research groups, allowed to reach two main goals: to define a simple analytical procedure to secure accurate shipboard sampling and analysis of atmospheric deposition, and to assess anthropogenic impacts of heavy metals to the environment. The first step about the validation step showed that the prevalent deposition type was dry deposition which represents 40, 60 and 80% for Cd, Cu and Pb, respectively. This prevalence of dry deposition in total atmospheric fallout supported the necessity of funnel wall rinsing which contains 30, 50 and 40% of collected Cd, Cu and Pb, respectively. Moreover, the reproducibility of atmospheric deposition collection was determined. The second step was performed by comparing two sampling sites. A rural sampling site, situated in Morvan's regional park (250 km south-east of Paris), was chosen for its isolation from any local and regional contamination sources. Fluxes obtained in this area were compared with those obtained at an urban site (Creteil, suburb of Paris) allowing comparison between urban and rural areas and demonstrating the impact of anthropogenic activities on atmospheric deposition of Cr, Cu and Pb

Variability in metal deposition among industrial, rural and urban areas in the Cantabria Region (Northern Spain)

“…These fluxes are similar or even lower than those widely reported in the literature [8][9][10], except for Mn and Zn. The highest fluxes were found for these metals in the industrial site (maximum values of 4279 and 170 µg/m 2 ·day, respectively).…”

Assessment of Air Quality in an Urban Area of Belgrade, Serbia

“…From a biogeochemical perspective, the characterization of total atmospheric deposition is relevant in order to identify the variability and sources of the atmospheric pollutants (Azimi et al, 2005). Direct collection of atmospheric deposition using bulk sampling devices offers a practical approach to monitor atmospheric heavy metal deposition providing valuable information on the influences of atmospheric inputs of heavy metals on the surface environment (Morselli et al, 2003;Azimi et al, 2003). Bulk sampling has been extensively used, since the samplers are easier to operate than wet-and-dry ones.…”

Heavy Metal Determination in Atmospheric Deposition and Other Fluxes in Northern France Agrosystems

“…All this equipment was placed inside a PVC pipe with PVC needles on top to avoid bird nesting. Collector heights reached 190 cm to avoid the collection of re-suspended soil particles (Azimi et al, 2003). The sampling period of TD was 7 days from 1 October 2001 to 22 November 2002.…”

“…These potential sources, both from large and local scales, associated with natural outputs (leaching water, run-off) and crop uptake contribute to the heavy metal balance in cultivated soils (Hovmand, 1984). Nevertheless, the atmospheric depositions were decreased during the last decade (Azimi et al, 2003;Lawlor and Tipping, 2003). Therefore, the balance of heavy metals in agrosystems remains a debated issue, related to the determination of critical loads from atmospheric pollution (Brus et al, 2002;De Vries and Bakker, 1996) or to the recycling of urban waste (Bartl et al, 2002).…”