Chemical characterization of precipitation at a coastal site in Trombay, Mumbai, India

Precipitation is the best scavenger for the particulates and dissolved gaseous pollutants present in the atmosphere. The chemical composition of precipitation is dominated by a number of in-cloud and below-cloud scavenging processes. The present study is aimed at analyzing the chemical composition of rainwater in the relatively less industrialized part of Mumbai. The pH of rainwater in this region ranges from 4.8 to 6.4. The percentage contributions of ions were calculated and the major contributing ions were calcium (28%), chloride (23%), sodium (18%), sulfate (14%), magnesium (11%), ammonium (4%), potassium (1%), and nitrate (1%). The correlation coefficient is highest for Na and Cl (r (2) = 0.99), giving a clear indication of contribution from sea salt. Sulfate and nitrate ions also show a very good correlation (r (2) = 0.90), which may be due to their coemission from fossil fuel combustion. Acidification caused by these ions is neutralized by Ca, Mg, and NH(4) ions. The neutralization effect due to these ions is validated by calculating the neutralization factor (NF). The NF values are in the order Ca > Mg > NH(4). The major source contributors for the ions in precipitation are sea salt (Na, Cl, and K) and fossil fuel combustion (SO(4) and NO(3)). These assumptions are supported by the values of wet-only ratio, enrichment factor, and percent sea salt fraction.