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Pollutant scavenging in dew water collected from an urban environment and related implications

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Abstract

Dew water and rainwater samples collected during winter season from an urban environment of Delhi, India were alkaline in nature with an average pH of 6.78 ± 0.47 and 5.91 ± 1.14, respectively. The concentrations of all soluble ions except NO3 − were considerably high in dew compared to rainwater. Nitrite was exceptionally high in dew water (dew/rainwater ratio = 11.7). The direct emissions of NO2 and production of NO2 (from NO3 and NO reaction during daytime) are responsible for high NO2. The direct gas to liquid exchange and/or dissolution HONO through heterogeneous chemistry could concentrate nitrite in dew during nighttime. The alkaline pH of dew water could also favor HONO formation. However, more detailed work is needed to spell out the reasons/processes for high nitrite in dew. NH4 + ions, formed from NH3 solubility in dew water, cation (Ca2+ and Mg2+) rich fine aerosols play a dominant role in the acidity neutralization and the final pH of dew water. Neutralization factors (NFs) followed the order NFNH4 + > NFCa 2+ > NFMg 2+ in the dew and rainwater but the absolute values of NFs were higher in dew. In the dew water, Ca2+ and K+ are contributed by crustal sources, SO4 2− and NO3 − by anthropogenic, and Mg2+ and Cl− by sea salt. Mg2+ and Cl− are also contributed by sea salt (27 %) and anthropogenic (66 %) sources, respectively. The sources remain the same for rainwater but their contributions vary depending on the ionic species. The differences in the dew and rainwater composition are linked to (1) dew formation takes place within the mixing layer enriched with pollutants on account of temperature inversions in the study area, (2) atmospheric gases-aerosols-water interactions during dew formation in winters, and (3) the heterogeneous chemistry. In the absence of the neutralizing cations, dew water containing high acid forming ions could be potentially harmful to buildings, plants, and water bodies in this region.

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Acknowledgments

Pawan is thankful to the council of scientific and industrial research (CSIR) India for junior research fellowship during this work. Grants received under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi-Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (DST-PURSE-JNU) by SY and utilized in this work are duly acknowledged.

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  1. School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Sudesh Yadav & Pawan Kumar

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  1. Sudesh Yadav
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  2. Pawan Kumar
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Correspondence to Sudesh Yadav.

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Yadav, S., Kumar, P. Pollutant scavenging in dew water collected from an urban environment and related implications. Air Qual Atmos Health 7, 559–566 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-014-0258-7

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