Abstract
Low molecular weight (LMW) organic acids are important and ubiquitous chemical constituents in the atmosphere. A comprehensive study of the chemical composition of precipitation was carried out from June 2007 to June 2008 at a rural site in Anshun, in the west of Guizhou Province, China. During this period, 118 rainwater samples were collected and the main LMW carboxylic acids were determined using ion chromatography. The average pH of rainwater was 4.89 which is a typical acidic value. The most abundant carboxylic acids were formic acid (volume weight mean concentration: 8.77 μmol L−1) and acetic acid (6.90 μmol L−1), followed by oxalic acid (2.05 μmol L−1). The seasonal variation of concentrations and wet deposition fluxes of organic acids indicated that direct vegetation emissions were the main sources of the organic acids. Highest concentrations were observed in winter and were ascribed to the low winter rainfall and the contribution of other air pollution sources northeast of the study area. The ratio of formic and acetic acids in the precipitation ([F/A] T ) was proposed as an indicator of pollution source. This suggested that the pollution resulted from direct emissions from natural or anthropogenic sources. Comparison with acid precipitation in other urban and rural areas in Guizhou showed that there was a decreasing contribution of LMW organic acids to free acidity and all anions in rainwater from urban to remote rural areas. Consequently, it is necessary to control emissions of organic acids to reduce the frequency of acid rain, especially in rural and remote areas.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Keene W C, Galloway J N. The biogeochemical cycling of formic and acetic acids through the troposphere: An overview of current understanding. Tellus B, 1988, 40: 322–334
Peña R M, García S, Herrero C, et al. Organic acids and aldehydes in rainwater in a northwest region of Spain. Atmos Environ, 2002, 36: 5277–5288
Tanner P A, Law P T. Organic Acids in the Atmosphere and Bulk Deposition of Hong Kong. Water Air Soil Pollut, 2003, 142: 279–297
Wang H, Shoote D. Low molecular weight dicarboxylic acids in PM10 in a city with intensive solid fuel burning. Chemosphere, 2004, 56: 725–733
Jiang W. Organic and inorganic geochemical characteristic of rainwater in Zunyi, Guizhou (in Chinese). Dissertation for the Doctoral Degree. Guiyang: Institute of Geochemistry, CAS, 2007. 50–178
Liu C, He LY, Niu Y W, et al. Wet deposition of low molecular weight carboxylic acids in Shenzhen (in Chinese). Res Environ Sci, 2007, 20: 20–25
Xu G, Lee X Q, Lü Y C, et al. Seasonal variations of carboxylic acids and their contributions to the rainwater acidity: A case study of Guiyang City and Shangzhong Town, China. Chinese Sci Bull, 2010, 55: 1667–1673
Galloway J N, Keene W C, Likens G E, et al. The composition of precipitation in remote areas of the world. J. Geophys Res, 1982, 87: 8771–8786
Yu S, Gao C, Cheng Z. et al. An analysis of chemical composition of different rain types in Minnan Golden Triangle’ region in the southeastern coast of China. Atmos Res, 1998, 47: 245–269
Xu G, Lee X, Huang R S, et al. Low molecular carboxylic acids in precipitation of Guiyang, China (in Chinese). Earth Environ, 2007, 35: 46–50
Sabbioni C, Ghedini N, Bonazza A. Organic anions in damage layers on monuments and buildings. Atmos Environ, 2003, 37: 1261–1269
Kumar N, Kulshrestha U C, Khare P, et al. Measurements of formic and acetic acid levels in the vapour phase at Dayalbagh, Agra, India. Atmos Environ, 1996, 30: 3545–3550
Keene W C, Galloway J N. Considerations regarding sources for formic and acetic acids in the troposphere. J Geophys Res, 1986, 91: 14466–14474
Kawamura K, Kasukabe H, Barrie L A. Source and reaction pathways of dicarboxylic acids, ketoacids and dicarbonyls in arctic aerosols: One year of observations. Atmos Environ, 1996, 30: 1709–1722
Hu M, Zhang J, Wu Z J. Chemical characteristic of rainwater and wash out effect on particles in Beijing (in Chinese). Sci China Ser B-Chem Sci, 2005, 35: 169–176
Chen Z L, Wang Y B. The function of organic compounds in acidification in rainwater (in Chinese). Environ Chem, 1991, 10: 1–13
He X H. Observations of formic and acetic acids in rainwater (in Chinese). Dissertation for the Master Degree. Beijing: Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science, 2008. 35–48
Fornaro A, Ivano G R. Wet deposition and related atmospheric chemistry in the Sao Paulo Metropolis, Brazil: Part 2—contribution of formic and acetic acids. Atmos Environ, 2003, 37: 117–128
Xu G. Study on carboxylic acids in rainwater in the Southwest China: A case study of Guiyang City and Shangzhong Town (in Chinese). Dissertation for the Doctoral Degree. Guiyang: Institute of Geochemistry, CAS, 2006. 70–124
Kumar N, KulShrestha U C, Saxena A, et al. Formate and acetate levels compared in monsoon and winter rainwater at Dayalbagh, Agra (India). J Atmos Chem, 1996, 23: 81–87
Avery G B, Willey J D, Kieber R J. Diurnal variations in major rainwater components at a coastal site in North Carolina: North America. Atmos Environ, 2001, 35: 3927–3933
Souza S R, Vasconcellos P C, Carvalho L R. Low molecular weight carboxylic acids in an urban atmosphere: Winter measurements in Sao Paulo City, Brazil. Atmos Environ, 1999, 33: 2563–2574
Talbot R W, Beecher K M, Harriss R C, et al. Atmospheric geochemistry of formic and acetic acids at a mid-latitude temperate site. J Geophys Res, 1988, 93: 1638–1652
Millet M, Wortham H, Sanusi A, et al. Low molecular weight organic acids in fogwater in an urban area: Strasbourg (France). Sci Total Environ, 1997, 20: 57–65
Sakugawa H, Kaplan I R, Shepard L S. Measurements of H2O2, aldehydes and organic acids in Los Angeles Rainwater: Their sources and deposition rates. Atmos Environ B: Urban Atmos, 1993, 27: 203–219
Zhang Y L, Lee X Q, Cao F, et al. Chemical characteristics and sources of organic acids in precipitation at a semi-urban site in Southwest China. Atmos Environ, 2010, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.09.067
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Rights and permissions
This article is published under an open access license. Please check the 'Copyright Information' section either on this page or in the PDF for details of this license and what re-use is permitted. If your intended use exceeds what is permitted by the license or if you are unable to locate the licence and re-use information, please contact the Rights and Permissions team.
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, Y., Lee, X., Cao, F. et al. Seasonal variation and sources of low molecular weight organic acids in precipitation in the rural area of Anshun. Chin. Sci. Bull. 56, 1005–1010 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-011-4411-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-011-4411-5