4.7 Article

Ambient ammonia in terrestrial ecosystems: A comparative study in the Tennessee Valley, USA

Journal

SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
Volume 409, Issue 14, Pages 2768-2772

Publisher

ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.04.017

Keywords

Ammonia; Air quality; Annular denuder; Pollution rose; Vehicle emissions

Funding

  1. Spelman College Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Ask authors/readers for more resources

Atmospheric ammonia has been shown to degrade regional air quality and affect environmental health. In-situ measurements of ammonia are needed to determine how ambient concentrations vary in different ecosystems and the extent to which emission sources contribute to those levels. The objective of this study was to measure and compare ammonia concentrations in two Tennessee Valley (USA) ecosystems: a forested rural area and a metropolitan site adjacent to a main transportation route. Integrated samples of atmospheric ammonia were collected with annular denuder systems for similar to 4 weeks during the summer of 2009 in both ecosystems. Ancillary measurements of meteorological variables, such as wind direction and precipitation, were also conducted to determine any relationships with ammonia concentration. Measurements in the two ecosystems revealed ammonia concentrations that were mostly representative of background levels. Arithmetic means were 1.57 +/- 0.68 mu g m(-3) at the metropolitan site and 1.60 +/- 0.77 mu g m(-3) in the forest. The geometric mean concentrations for both sites were similar to 1.46 mu g m(-3). Wind direction, and to a lesser extent air temperature and precipitation, did influence measured concentrations. At the metropolitan site, ammonia concentrations were slightly higher in winds emanating from the direction of the interstate highway. Meteorological variables, such as wind direction, and physical factors, such as topography, can affect measurement of ambient ammonia concentrations, especially in ecosystems distant from strong emission sources. The 12-h integrated sampling method used in this study was unable to measure frequent changes in ambient ammonia concentrations and illustrates the need for measurements with higher temporal resolution, at least similar to 1-2 h, in a variety of diverse ecosystems to determine the behavior of atmospheric ammonia and its environmental effects. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.7
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available