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Nitrogen compounds in atmospheric precipitation

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Abstract

The paper presents results of a stoichiometric calculation of a nitrogen (N) compounds in precipitation of World Meteorological Organization's Global Atmosphere Watch (WMO GAW) stations. Long-term trends of ammonium sulphate ((NH4)2SO4) and ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) contents i the North-West of Russia as well as in Byelorussia, Scandinavia, Western and Eastern Europe during the periods of 1958–1990 and 1972–1985 were investigated. A relatively, steady annual trend for the mean NH4NO3 concentrations was found typical of pure regions (5–15μeq* 1−1). The concentrations in industrial regions are from 4 to 5 times higher than the background close to natural. The analysis of the trend for (NH4)2SO4 content in precipitation shows a wide range of a variations of mean annual concentrations with an explicit tendency to their significant decrease in some European regions in the mid-eighties. Nitric acid (HNO3) has not been discovered in precipitation from the European WMO GAW stations while calculations based on the US data revealed its remarkable content and tendency to its increase. Nitric acid and ammonium sulphate are not contained in precipitation over ocean, ammonium nitrate is present in insignificant amounts.

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Lavrinenko, R. Nitrogen compounds in atmospheric precipitation. Water Air Soil Pollut 85, 2149–2154 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01186152

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01186152

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