Abstract
Totally 23 precipitation samples were collected in Beijing from May to November in 2003. In order to investigate the chemical composition of precipitation samples, pH, conductivity, concentrations of water-soluble ions and organic acids were analyzed. The average pH of precipitations is 6.18, belonging to the neutral range; the average conductivity is 52.23 µS/cm, which indicates that precipitations in Beijing are obviously polluted; SO 2−4 , NO −3 are the most abundant anions with the average concentrations of 521 and 174 µeq· L-1, respectively; the average SO 2−4 /NO −3 equivalent ratio is 3.1, which decreases by about 15% compared with the result of 1994; NH +4 and Ca2+ are the most abundant cations with the average concentrations of 376 and 397µeq· L-1, respectively; formic acid, acetic acid and oxalic acid are the main organic acids with the average concentrations of 4.62, 4.60 and 1.17 µeq· L-1, respectively, accounting for 2% of the overall anions. Obvious differences between concentrations before and after precipitation are also observed by SJAC (Steam Jet Aerosol Collector), which shows the removal of particles from the atmosphere by precipitation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Samara, C., Tsitouridou, R., Fine and coarse ionic aerosol components in relation to wet and dry depositions, Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 2000, 120(1/2): 71 -88.
Kulshrestha, U. C, Kulshlrestha, M. J., Sekar, R. et al., Chemical characteristics of rainwater at an urban site of south-central India, Atmospheric Environment, 2003, 37(21): 3019–3026.
ba]Chate, D. M., Rao, P. S. P., Naik, M. S., Scavenging of aerosols and their chemical species by rain, Atmospheric Environment, 2003, 37(18): 2477–2484.
Luo, W. Q., The characterization of hydrogen ion concentration in sequential cumulative rainwater, Atmospheric Environment, 2001, 35(35): 6219–6225.
Zimmermann, F., Lux, H., Maenhaut, W. et al., A review of air pollution and atmospheric deposition dynamics in southern Saxony, Germany, Central Europe, Atmospheric Environment, 2003, 37(5): 671–691.
Yao, X. H., Chan, C. K., Fang, M., The water-soluble ionic composition of PM2.5 in Shanghai and Beijing, China, Atmoshpheric Environment, 2002, 36(26): 4223–4234.
Keene, W. C, Galloway, J. N., Organic acidity of precipitation of north America, Atmospheric Environment, 1984, 18(11): 2491–2497.
Chebbi, A., Carlier, P., Carboxylic acids in the troposphere, occurrence, sources, and sinks: A review, Atmospheric Environment, 1996, 30(24): 4233–4249.
Slanina, J., ten Brink, H. M., Otjes, R. P. et al., The continuous analysis of nitrate and ammonium in aerosols by the steam jet aerosol collector (SJAC): Extension and validation of this methodology, Atmosphere Environment, 2001, 35(13): 2319–2330.
Jain, M., Kulshrestha, U. C., Sarkar, A. K. et al., Influence of crustal aerosols on wet deposition at urban and rural sites in India, Atmosphere Environment, 2000, 34(29-30): 5129–5137.
Zunckel, M., Saizar, C., Zarauz, J., Rainwater composition in northeast Uruguay, Atmospheric Environment, 2003, 37(12): 1601–1611.
Ewa, D. Z., Joseph, F. D., Automatic simultaneous determination of anions and cations in atmospheric aerosols by ion chromatog- raphy, Journal of Chromatography, 1993, 640(2): 217–226.
Jaffrezo, J. L., Calas, N., Bouchet, M., Carboxylic acids measurements with ionic chromatography, Atmosphere Environment, 1998, 32(14–15): 2705–2708.
http://www.bjmb.gov.cn (in Chinese), Beijing Meteorological Bureau.
Wang, W. X., Zhang, W. H., The acidity of precipitation in Beijing, Research of Environmental Sciences (in Chinese), 1997, 10(4): 6–10.
Wang, W. X., Ding, G. A., The acidity of Precipitation and temporal and spatial distribution of ions concentration in China, Research of Environmental Sciences (in Chinese), 1997, 10(2): 1 -7.
http://www.zhb.gov.cn (in Chinese), State Environmental Protection Administration of China, Environmental Gazette of Beijing.
Kawamura, K., Steinberg, S., Ng, L. et al., Wet deposition of low molecular weight mono- and di-carboxylic acids, aldehydes and inorganic species in Los Angeles, Atmospheric Environment, 2001, 35(23): 3917–3926.
Tang, J., Xue, H. S., Yu, F. L. et al., The preliminary analysis of chemical characteristics of rainwater in Waliguan Mountain, Journal of Environmental Sciences (in Chinese), 2000, 20(4): 420–425.
Grosjean, D., Atmospheric reactions of pyruvic acid, Atmospheric Environment, 1983, 17(11): 2379–2382.
Chen, Z. L., Wang, Y. B., The effect of Organic compounds in formation of acid rain, Environmental Chemistry (in Chinese), 1991, 10(1): 1–13.
Keene, W. C, Galloway, J. N., The biogeochemical cycling of formic and acetic acids through the troposphere: an overview of current understanding, Tellus, 1988, 40B(5): 322–334.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hu, M., Zhang, J. & Wu, Z. Chemical compositions of precipitation and scavenging of particles in Beijing. Sc. China Ser. B-Chem. 48, 265–272 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1360/042004-49
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1360/042004-49