ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Rainfall Chemistry and Total Wet and Dry
Deposition of Acidity and Nitrogen
in Mianyang, Southwest China
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1
School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
2
National Anti-Drug Laboratory Sichuan Regional Center, Chengdu 610031, China
Submission date: 2023-11-18
Final revision date: 2024-01-30
Acceptance date: 2024-02-25
Online publication date: 2024-06-17
Publication date: 2024-07-25
Corresponding author
Huanbo Wang
Southwest University of Science and Technology, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2024;33(6):6397-6407
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ABSTRACT
Wet and dry deposition samples were collected from September 2020 to August 2021 at a suburban
site in Mianyang, Southwest China. Major water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) in daily rainfall
samples and integrated dry deposition samples were determined using ion chromatography. In rainfall,
the annual volume-weighted mean (VWM) concentrations of SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, and Ca2+ were 30.1,
28.7, 64.9, and 31.8 μeq L-1, respectively. The annual values of acid-neutralizing capacity and fractional
acidity were 37.8 μeq L-1 a nd 0.0035, r espectively, indicating that SO42- and NO3- in the rainfall were
fully neutralized by NH4+ and Ca2+, which was supported by the annual rainfall pH of 6.7. The annual
wet and dry deposition fluxes were 0.27 and 0.09 keq ha-1 yr-1 for SO42- and 0.26 and 0.11 keq ha-1 yr-1 for NO3-, respectively, resulting in a total acid deposition flux of 0.73 keq ha-1 yr-1, which approximated the
maximum critical load of acidity in Sichuan province. The annual wet and dry deposition fluxes were
8.3 and 2.9 kg N ha-1 yr-1 for NH4+-N and 3.7 and 1.5 kg N ha-1 yr-1 for NO3--N, respectively, leading to
a total nitrogen deposition of 16.4 kg N ha-1 yr-1. Moreover, the annual equivalent ratio of [SO42-]/[NO3-]
in rainfall was 1.1, suggesting that the acid deposition in Mianyang was a mixed type caused by
sulfuric and nitric acids. The annual mass ratio of NH4+-N/NO3--N was 2.3, reflecting the important role
of agricultural activities in nitrogen deposition in Mianyang.