Atmospheric deposition is a very important transport process for gases and particles from

the atmosphere to the terrestrial and aquatic surfaces.

This process is a part of biogeochemical cycling of various chemicals in the Earth system.

While emitted to the atmosphere from various natural and anthropogenic sources, gases
and particles are transported with air masses and undergo dry and wet deposition from
the air to water and land.
After deposition, some of the chemicals are accumulated in the upper layer of soil,
while another portion migrates through the terrestrial and aquatic environment.
Rainwater contains primary dissolved chemical species, derived directly from air particles,
coming mainly from marine spray and continental dust, such as chloride (Cl–), sodium
(Na+), potassium (K+), magnesium (Mg2+) and calcium (Ca2+).

Secondary chemical species, which originate from gaseous emissions and subsequent
reactions into the atmosphere, include ions such as sulfate (SO42–), nitrate (NO3–) and
ammonium (NH4+).

There are several natural and anthropogenic sources of these elements to the atmosphere
and different processes are involved in their availability and transport. These make the
atmosphere an important diffuse source and a direct and significant input route of nutrients
and pollutants into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
The primary effect of deposition is a cleansing of the air. Concerning the
impact of deposition on various sources, this process can be harmful or
beneficial.

Deposition of ozone on crops would cause a harmful effect. In the case of

deposition of nitrogen compounds, this process can be either beneficial or
harmful.

On one side, deposition of nitrogen can be regarded as an additional transport

of nutrients to plants. While in excess, it may cause eutrophication, for
example, in coastal areas, large growth of algae populations, and subsequent
oxygen deficiency at the bottom waters.

Another example of harmful effects on the environment where deposition

plays a role is acidification of precipitation, often called as acid rain.
The atmosphere behaves as a major source and carrier of nitrogen (N) to several
ecosystems.

In this way, atmospheric input represents a significant component of the global N

cycle, acting as a relatively fast and efficient mechanism by which the N released in
a particular compartment of the planet can affect remote areas far from its source
region.
Atmospheric N is traditionally referred as oxidized N and reduced N. The oxidized
N comes from emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2, referred as NOx) which
rapidly react (hours) with rainwater to form nitric acid (HNO3), which in turn can
react to form nitrate aerosol. It is also important to consider that as HNO3 is
extremely soluble, it can be rapidly removed by collision with cloud droplets or
ambient particles.

The emissions of reduced N are basically dominated by ammonia gas (NH3), which
represents a major base in the atmosphere and tends to react quickly and sometimes
irreversibly, with acids like HCl, H2SO4 and HNO3.

The chemical species and sources of organic N to the atmosphere is believed that the
atmospheric fraction of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) includes a large group of
natural compounds from biogenic and oceanic emissions, such as amino acids,
polypeptides and urea, and small amounts of synthetic compounds from
anthropogenic emissions (e.g., agricultural activities and mainly burning of biomass).
Atmospheric deposition are governed by:

Wind velocity Meteorological factor

Relative humidity

Size Particle factor

Shape

Friction
Surface Characteristics
Velocity
Temperature
Atmospheric deposition implies:

Dust
Metals
Acids
Nutrients
Pollutants
PM” refers to particulate matter—particles in the air. Those particles are things like organic
dust, airborne bacteria, construction dust, and coal particles from power plants.
The terms “PM10” and “PM2.5.” Each pollutant type is defined as that size and below. So
PM10 is particles 10 microns and below. PM2.5 is 2.5 microns and below. (That means PM10
includes PM2.5.
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are widely believed to be the major nutrient, as well
as the limiting factors of aquatic ecosystems .

Moreover, compared to other sources of N and P, atmospheric deposition was

considered insignificant. However, recent studies suggest that atmospheric deposition
can be significant sources of N and P. For example, in West Lake (Hangzhou, China),
the average atmospheric nitrogen deposition between 2000 and 2004 was 4.45 mg
m−2 d −1.

From 2002 to 2003, over 48% of total nitrogen (TN) and 46% of total phosphorus (TP)
supplied by rivers and waterways were of atmospheric origin.

Research on coastal waters in North America and Western Europe indicates that 20–
40% or more of exogenous bioavailable nitrogen originated from the atmosphere. In
Shanghai (2005–2017), the average dry depositional particle flux ranged between
134.8–289.3 mg m−2 d −1which is much higher than most atmospheric deposition
around the world. Therefore, it is necessary to research the fluxes of atmospheric N
and P deposition for urban water bodies, and urban water body restoration should not
underestimate the atmospheric input of pollutants, especially nitrogen and
phosphorus.

Source: Zheng et al. (2019) Sustainability 2019, 11, 1703; doi:10.3390/su11061703

Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) is an alkaline gas and a prominent constituent of the
nitrogen cycle that adversely affects ecosystems at higher concentrations.

It is a pollutant, which influences all three spheres such as haze formation in the
atmosphere, soil acidification in the lithosphere, and eutrophication in water bodies.
Atmospheric NH3 reacts with sulfur (SOx) and nitrogen (NOx) oxides to form
aerosols, which eventually affect human health and climate.

The seasonal and inter-annual variability of atmospheric NH3 over India in 2008–
2016 using the IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) satellite
observation showed that Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) is one of the largest and rapidly
growing NH3 hotspots of the world, with a growth rate of +1.2% yr−1 in summer
(June–August: Kharif season), due to intense agricultural activities and presence of
many fertilizer industries there.

Ammonia is positively correlated with total fertilizer consumption (r = 0.75) and

temperature (r = 0.5) since high temperature favors volatilization,

.Kuttippurath et al .Science of The Total Environment

Volume 740, 20 October 2020, 139986
 Van Langenhove,. et al. Atmospheric deposition of elements and its relevance for nutrient budgets of tropical
forests. Biogeochemistry 149, 175–193 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-020-00673-8

Values in parentheses represent standard errors. Significant canopy exchanges (obtained using the mixed models) are given by
*(p < 0.05), **(p < 0.01) and ***(p < 0.001). Non-significant differences are indicated by NS. The listed N:P ratio is molar based.
Values in parentheses are standard errors
Urban areas remain hotspots of atmospheric deposition; recent
studies in urban areas demonstrate that rates of atmospheric
deposition of inorganic nitrogen (N) are elevated more than twofold
over rural rates, are highly spatially variable, and are positively
correlated with impervious surface area and local vehicular N
emissions

urban areas with a high population density and high traffic

quantity, the ions in wet deposition primarily come from
anthropogenic activities, such as industrial combustion and vehicle
emissions.
Lake Udaisagar receives nutrients from an urban stream and through vast
agricultural catchment in addition to atmospheric deposition. Lake Baghdara is
situated away from direct human disturbances.
Concentrations of nutrients were sizably high in Udaisagar, indicating the effects of
human activities. Apart from vast agricultural catchment and pasturelands, the lake
receives input of urban release through different streams.

More importantly as witnessed through Baghdara lake, AD-input could lead even
remote lakes towards eutrophication
International Journal of Lakes and Rivers. ISSN 0973-4570 Volume 9,
Number 1 (2016), pp. 1-10 © Research India Publications
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) include chemical substances that persist in the
environment such as pesticides, industrial chemicals and hazardous by-products of
combustion. Specific health effects of these pollutants consist of cancer, allergies and
hypersensitivity, damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, reproductive
disorders, and disruption of the immune system.
In addition, these pollutants can move across vast distances from the southern hemisphere to the
northern hemisphere by what is called the “grasshopper effect”. This means that they evaporate
with warm air and return to earth with rain and snow in the colder areas of the globe.

Therefore, persistent organic pollutants released in one part of the world can, through a repeated
(and often seasonal) process of evaporation and deposit, be transported through the atmosphere
to regions far away from the original source. Over the course of several years, they approach the
Arctic in a series of seasonal jumps.
As global warming increases, chemicals volatilize more readily into the atmosphere, increasing
their presence in the air and other matrices.
The atmospheric deposition is the main source of POPs to the open sea and large
inlands lakes. Major POPs families

Polycholrinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

Polycholrinated dibenzo-dioxins
Dbenzofuron
Organochlorine Pesticide
Polyaromatic hydrocarbon

Over the past few decades, the North America Great Lakes have been the
recipient of many different persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from a
variety of sources. In an attempt to better understand atmospheric
deposition as one of these sources of contamination, the Integrated
Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) was formed in 1990 through
mandates of the Clean Air Act and Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
Ionic concentration and annual deposition of NO-3-N, NH+4 -N,
Ca2+, and Mg2+ from bulk precipitation and dry atmospheric
deposition were studied for one year in southern California. Data
were collected from an inland chaparral site (shrubland plant
community found primarily in the U.S. state of California) at 1,300
m elevation, 75 km from the coast.

The annual depositions of NO -3 -N and NH +4 -N amounted to 96.3

and 56.0 mg m-2 ground area yr-1, respectively.

The corresponding values for calcium and magnesium ions were

207.4 and 57.4 mg m-2 yr-1. The average pH of rainwater was 3.74
(range 3.37 to 4.75), thus documenting acid rain for an inland site
in California, distant from urban sources of air contamination.

•Oceologia 1983 Oct;60(1):118-121. doi: 10.1007/BF00379330


atmospheric
deposition in Taiwan
Chemosphere Pub Date : 2018-06-01 ,
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.05.195
Incineration of urban waste water treatment
sludge and of urban waste were identified as
major atmospheric sources of trace metals
(Sweet and Vermette, 1993; Sullivan and Woods,
2000).Metallic pollutants may be transported
over long distances by very small particles
(Koutrakis, 1984).
These particles when aggregated or washed out
by rain are called atmospheric deposition,
respectively, dry and wet.
Dry deposition of particles occurs by direct
impact and gravitational settling on land or water
surfaces.
In wet deposition, aerosols and gases are
dissolved or suspended in water droplets or ice
crystals. Besides such long-range transport
processes, significant dry and wet depositions
also occur locally, and atmospheric sources in
urban area may play an important role in the
metal contamination of dry and wet depositions
Incineration of urban waste water treatment sludge and of urban waste were
identified as major atmospheric sources of trace metals (Sweet and Vermette,
1993; Sullivan and Woods, 2000).Metallic pollutants may be transported over
long distances by very small particles (Koutrakis, 1984).

These particles when aggregated or washed out by rain are called atmospheric
deposition, respectively, dry and wet.

Dry deposition of particles occurs by direct impact and gravitational settling on

land or water surfaces.

In wet deposition, aerosols and gases are dissolved or suspended in water droplets
or ice crystals. Besides such long-range transport processes, significant dry and
wet depositions also occur locally, and atmospheric sources in urban area may
play an important role in the metal contamination of dry and wet depositions
Science of The Total Environment, 308(1-3), 247–
256. doi:10.1016/s0048-9697(02)00678-2
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic and persistent pollutant and has long-term impacts on ecological
systems and human health. Coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) are the main source of
anthropogenic Hg emission, and the emitted atmospheric Hg is deposited to the
surrounding environments which causes soil pollution. To assess the effects of
atmospheric Hg from CFPPs in China on the temperate steppe, Hg contents in the topsoil
and subsoil were analyzed for samples collected from 80 sites in central Inner Mongolia
during 2012–2015. The average content of Hg in topsoil and subsoil were
14.9 ± 10.4 μg kg−1 and 8.9 ± 5.8 μg kg−1, respectively. Considering the potential of Hg
accumulation in soil, long-term and regional measurements of soil Hg and stricter
emission-limit standards for power plants should be implemented to control soil Hg
pollution in China.

Environmental
Pollution
Volume 258, March
2020, 113692
A pleurocarpous feather moss Haplocladium angustifolium was recognized as a good biomonitor of
atmospheric deposition in central China by investigating bryophyte communities and habitat
environment in various ecological function regions of the urban areas in Wuhan. The concentrations of
trace elements, including As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, V, Pb, and Zn, in moss and soil samples from 25
sampling sites were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jun; 17(12): 4537.

Published online 2020 Jun 24. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17124537
Comparison of lead and cadmium concentrations in mosses (median) in
2005 and 2010, in European countries
Atmosphere 2020, 11, 143; doi:10.3390/atmos11020143
Comparison of lead and cadmium concentrations in mosses (median) in
2005 and 2010, in European countries
Atmosphere 2020, 11, 143; doi:10.3390/atmos11020143
 Monitoring

In order to make improvements in air quality, the amount of pollutants in the

air must constantly be measured and monitored. Pollutants are typically
expressed in three ways: rate of emissions, concentration of ambient air
measurements, and rate of deposition. The national deposition and air
monitoring networks are important resources for performing these
measurements. The following are examples of such networks:

National Atmospheric Deposition Program - National Trends Network

(NADP-NTN). The NADP was originally established in 1978 to measure
acidic deposition. NADP-NTN is now considered the standard for wet
deposition measurements of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium. The network,
which consists of more than 200 sites, is valuable for showing trends over
space and time; the sites, however, cannot be used to identify pollutant
sources.

NADP - Mercury Deposition Network (MDN). The MDN is a sub-network

of NADP. The first sites became operational in 1995, and the network became
an official part of NADP in 1996. MDN contains approximately 30 mercury
deposition monitoring sites nationwide. Most of those sites monitor for total
wet mercury deposition, while some also monitor for wet methyl-mercury
deposition.
NADP - Atmospheric Integrated Research and Monitoring Network
(AIRMoN). AIRMoN is sponsored by the National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration and run by NADP. The purpose of AIRMoN is to
provide research-grade monitoring data to the NADP and data users, especially
modelers. AIRMoN consists of 25 sites (15 dry and 10 wet) and measures sulfur
and nitrogen compounds (dry) and several cations and anions (wet) on a daily
basis.

Clean Air Stats and Trend Network (CASTNet). CASTNet is the nation's
primary monitoring network for measuring dry acidic deposition. Used in
conjunction with other national monitoring networks, CASTNet is used to
determine the effectiveness of national emissions control programs. There are
approximately 80 CASTNet sites nationwide.
Modeling can do the following: ·
 Summarize current conditions to help identify management
options. ·

Fill in spatial or temporal holes left by a monitoring program.

·

Predict future conditions due to growth or regulatory changes.

· Estimate what reductions are necessary to reach specific

goals.

Detect what changes in deposition rates will have significant

impacts on to ecological or human health.
Regional Acid Deposition Model (RADM), which models deposition for the
eastern half of the United States for secondary particles (nitrate and sulfate) and
acid deposition (nitric acid, nitrate, and sulfate).

Regulatory Modeling System for Aerosols and Deposition (REMSAD), a

nationwide system that models wet and dry deposition for mercury, nitrogen
(nitrate, nitric acid, and ammonia), and sulfate particles.

Community Modeling for Air Quality (CMAQ), which involves a graphical

user interface, an atmospheric transport model, and a data analysis tool. CMAQ
models acid precipitation (nitrate, sulfate, and nitric acid) and photochemical
oxidants (NOX,VOCs, and ozone)

Regional LaGrangian Model of Air Pollution (RELMAP), which is one of the

older models used for estimating atmospheric deposition rates for unreactive
pollutants, such as most heavy metals and dioxin.

California Puff Model (CALPUFF), which is composed of a diagnostic

meteorological processor and a puff dispersion model to identify the impact of
sources on deposition of gases and particulates.
Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone
The 1999 Gothenburg Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level
Ozone (Gothenburg Protocol)

The Executive Body adopted the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-
level Ozone in Gothenburg (Sweden) on 30 November 1999.
The Protocol sets national emission ceilings for 2010 up to 2020 for four pollutants: sulphur
(SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ammonia (NH3). It thus
builds on the previous Protocols that addressed sulphur emissions (1985 Protocol; 1994
Protocol), VOCs and NOx. These ceilings were negotiated on the basis of scientific assessments
of pollution effects and abatement options. Parties whose emissions have a more severe
environmental or health impact and whose emissions are relatively cheap to reduce have to make
the biggest cuts.
The Protocol also sets tight limit values for specific emission sources (e.g. combustion plant,
electricity production, dry cleaning, cars and lorries) and requires best available techniques to be
used to keep emissions down. VOCs emissions from such products as paints or aerosols also have
to be cut. Finally, farmers have to take specific measures to control ammonia emissions. The
Protocol provide a wide range of abatement techniques and economic instruments for the
reduction of emissions in the relevant sectors, including transport.

The Protocol was amended in 2012 by Executive Body decisions 2012/1 and 2012/2 to include
national emission reduction commitments to be achieved by 2020 and beyond.