The existence of a rainfall anomaly downwind of the St. Louis urban-industrial areas prompted a survey of area soils for elevated heavy metal concentrations. The goals of this work were to measure concentrations of Zn, Cd, and Pb, and to evaluate the role of the urban rainfall anomaly in their accumulation, in potentially-affected soils. Samples from three soil layers were collected from agricultural fields at 21 sites along two NE-SW transects. The samples were analyzed for pH, texture, cation exchange capacity, and total organic carbon, in addition to the three metals. The highest metal concentrations were observed near Granite City, Illinois, and coincided with an area of maximum Zn deposition in rain found in an earlier study. Only slight increases of the metals over background were found in the area of rainfall anomaly. Present rates of atmospheric deposition can account for these slightly elevated metal concentrations. However, the maximum concentrations found near Granity City cannot be accounted for by present atmospheric deposition rates. Other kinds of sources, or larger atmospheric deposition rates, perhaps during the operation of a local Zn smelter which closed about 1960, must have contributed.

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) plants, cultivars Cheri, Merion and Touchdown were grown at complete nutrition or with low S or low N. Plants were exposed to 10 ppm (v/v) O(,3) for 6 h/d, 15 pphm SO(,2) continuously, 15 pphm NO(,2) continuously, or their mixture at these concentrations for 10 days. The severity of injury was much increased by misting with deionized water for 5 min twice daily, especially with SO(,2) and NO(,2) single gas exposures. The misting did not have consistent effects on total S, total N, leaf area or fresh weight. Exposure to O (,3) decreased leaf area without affecting S or N content, while SO(,2) usually increased total S and, in some cases, increased total N. Exposure to NO(,2) increased total N without affecting total S, and the mixture increased both total S and total N. Low S or low N usually enhanced the effect of SO(,2) or NO(,2), respectively. Leaf area and fresh weight were not as responsive to the treatments as total S and total N. Rainfall outdoors may be a major meteorological factor affecting plant injury response to gaseous pollutants

The study quantifies the amount of metals, (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr, V, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) leached from the A-horizon of a podzolic spruce forest soil in southern Sweden during 2.5 yr, and offers statistical evidence of environmental conditions of importance to metal release. Considerable losses of Pb, Cr, Ni and V may occur from the A-horizon of forest soils under conditions favoring leaching of organic matter, Fe, and Al, i.e. during periods of comparably high soil temperature and moisture. Metals with a larger fraction present in exchangeable form (Na, Mg, Ca, Zn, Cd) are more susceptible to minor pH changes. An accelerated deposition or internal production of acidic matter therefore will reduce the retention times of these elements particularly.

A study has been made of the soil chemistry and atmospheric quality of 9 Sudbury area sites where populations of Deschampsia cespitosa have invaded the contaminated industrial barrens near the smelters since 1972. The rate of increase in cover within marked quadrats was greater at sites near the disused Coniston smelter than at sites near the two active smelters. Air quality monitoring, using bulk collectors and sulphation plates, indicated substantial drops in phytotoxic air pollutants during the 1978-79 smelter shutdowns. Surface loadings of various metals were evident in soil at sites near the active smelters, whereas this was no longer true at sites near the Coniston smelter disused since 1972. However, water extractable levels of Ni and Cu at these sites remained as high as those found near the active smelters which also have high extractable soil Al. Both comparative studies and multiple regression analysis indicate that the rate of increase in cover of D. cespitosa in the populations studied correlate best with particulate deposition of Cu and Ni followed by sulphation rate and then by soil extractable Al. These findings are discussed in relation to tolerances of local populations, as well as to the potential effects of airborne particulates on growth

Baseline trace element concentrations have been measured in 8 species of marine fish from Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. This is the first stage in an assessment of environmental impact associated with mining operations. In general, concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Hg, and As in edible portions of the fish comply with Australian National Health and Medical Research Council public health standards. Two species of shark contained As concentrations in muscle tissue in excess of prescribed standards. Increased concentrations of Cu, Zn and Cd were recorded in liver and kidney, But Hg and Pb were not preferentially accumulated in these organs. The relationship between the size of fish and metal assay was investigated. Mercury content and weight of fish were always positively correlated but concentrations of other metals were variably correlated with size

Atmospheric sources contributed significantly to the annual flux of trace metals and sulfate to the forest floor of Walker Branch Watershed, a forested catchment in the southeastern United States. Atmospheric deposition supplied from 14%(Mn) to approx. 40%(Zn, Cd, SO(,4)('2-)) to 99%(Pb) of the annual flux to the forest floor; the remainder was attributable to internal element cycling. The measured water solubility of these metals in suspended and deposited particles indicates that they may be readily mobilized following deposition. Dry deposition constituted a major fraction of the total annual atmospheric input of Cd and Zn(20%), SO(,4)('2-)(35%), Pb(55%), and Mn(90%); however, wet deposition rates for single events exceeded dry deposition rates by one to four orders of magnitude. Interception of rain by the canopy resulted in loss of Cd, Mn, Pb, Zn, and SO(,4)('2-) from the canopy, but uptake of H('+) which increased with increasing free acidity of the incoming rain, and with increasing residence time of the rain on the leaf surface

Water samples from the Rhode River, an estuary situated on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, were analyzed for atrazine residues twice a week for 2 yr. Precipitation samples, which included dryfall, rainfall, and snowfall were collected with wide-mouth stainless steel collection pans situated about 20 m above ground in an open space. A total of 68 precipitation samples was collected from December 1976 to February 1979. Atrazine residues were detectable in estuarine water and in rainwater year-round. Atrazine residues in estuarine water were generally 6 to 190ng/l, atrazine residues in rainwater (bulk precipitation) were 3 to 2190ng/l. Atrazine residues in rainwater samples collected during the winter season (January to April 1977) were unexpectedly high (e.g. 3 to 970ng/l). The highest atrazine concentration of 2190ng/l was detected from a 0.76 cm rainfall event collected on May 19, 1977. Intermittent spraying operations of atrazine within the cornfields were generally done during May of each year. Rain samples collected during May of 1978 also showed higher atrazine residues than the rest of the 1978 growing season, but at levels much less than those detected in 1977 rainwater. Although high attrazine concentrations were detected in winter rainfall, these did not result in similarly higher atrazine concentrations in estuarine receiving waters. Our data showed a decline of atrazine concentrations in estuarine water in October and November which continued until a rainfall following Spring herbicide applications. Atrazine is enriched at the microsurface layer of estuarine water, but direct atmospheric input of atrazine did not seem to contribute significantly to the enrichment mechanism. Atrazine is believed to be transported long distances in polluted air masses. The estuarine microsurface layer could be a source of atmospheric atrazine, but the importance of the source is yet to be determined. Atrazine was quantitatively determined by GC using a nitrogen specific electrolytic detector and was confirmed by GC/Mass.