Abstract
During the last two decades, the importance of sulphur dioxide as a pollutant has moved away from its association with suspended particulate matter, to it being a precursor of SO 2-4 aerosol (acidic e.g. sulphuric acid, or neutralised e.g. ammonium sulphate). Co-located concentration data of sulphur dioxide and SO 2-4 , at nine monitoring sites situated in predominantly rural areas in the United Kingdom, collected over the time period 1979–1995, have been analysed. The time series for both species are discussed for the sites. Further analysis has shown that there is a degree of correlation between sulphur dioxide and SO 2-4 for most of the sites considered. This correlation is of approximately the same level for most of the sites taken independently and together, and in most cases the slopes and intercepts associated with the simple empirical model equations arising from the correlation analysis, are of the same order of magnitude. The implementation of these site-dependent model equations within dispersion models for the prediction of the concentration of airborne sulphate aerosol from knowledge of sulphur dioxide concentration is discussed. Furthermore, the correlation analysis revealed the influence of transported sulphate aerosol on the local concentration, especially during high concentration episodes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes: 1992, ‘Sulphur Dioxide, Acid Aerosols and Particulates’, Second Report, Department of Health. London: HMSO.
British Standards Institution: 1969, ‘Methods for the Measurement of Air Pollution, Part 3: Determination of Sulphur Dioxide’, BS 1747.
Clarke, A. G., Willison, M. J. and Zeki, E. M.: 1984, ‘A Comparison of Urban and Rural Aerosol Composition Using Dichotomous Samplers’, Atmos. Environ. 18, 1767–1775.
Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, Subcommittee on Acid Aerosols: 1988, ‘Report on Acid Aerosol Research Needs’, EPA-SAB/CASAC-89-002, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.; 19 October.
Clement, C. F. and Ford, I. J.: 1996, ‘The Competition Between Aerosol Growth and Aerosol Nucleation in the Atmosphere’, J. Aerosol Sci. 27, S39–S40.
Cohen, P.: 1996, ‘Mother Nature Could Break U.S. Clean Air Law’, New Sci., 16 November.
COMEAP: 1995, ‘Non-Biological Particles and Health’, Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, Department of Health. London: HMSO.
Committee on Advances in Assessing Human Exposure to Airborne Pollutants, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources and National Research Council: 1991, ‘Human Exposure Assessment for Airborne Pollutants’, National Academy of Sciences: Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Cyrys, J., Gutschmidt, K., Brauer, M., Dumyahn, T., Heinrich, J., Spengler, J. D. and Wichmann, H. E.: 1995, ‘Determination of Acidic Sulfate Aerosols in Urban Atmospheres in Erfurt (F.R.G.) and Sokolov (Former C.S.S.R.)’, Atmos. Environ. 29, 3545–3557.
EPAQS: 1995, ‘Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards: Sulphur Dioxide’, Department of the Environment. London: HMSO.
Fisher, B. E. A.: 1985, ‘The Modelling Process’, National Society for Clean AirWorkshop,Warwick, U.K. Brighton: National Society for Clean Air.
Guidotti, T. L.: 1997, 'Treat Air Pollution as the Public Health Hazard It Is’, EM.June issue.
Harrison, R. M. and Pio, C. A.: 1981, ‘Apparatus for Simultaneous Size-Differentiated Sampling of Optical and Suboptical Aerosols: Application to Analysis of Nitrates and Sulfates’, J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc. 31, 784–787.
Heintzenberg, J. and Larssen, S.: 1983, ‘SO2and SO2-4in the Arctic: Interpretation of Observations at Three Norwegian Arctic-Subarctic Stations’, Tellus 35B, 255–265.
Hjellbrekke, A. G., Lovblad, G., Sjoberg, K., Schaug, J. and Skejelmoen, J. E.: 1995, ‘EMEP Data Report 1993’, European Measurement and Evaluation Programme.
King, A. M. and Dorling, S.: 1997, ‘PM10 ParticulateMatter – The Significance of Ambient Levels’, Atmos. Environ. 31, 2379–2381.
Kitto, A-M. N. and Harrison, R. M.: 1992, ‘Processes Affecting Concentrations of Aerosol Strong Acidity at Sites in Eastern England’, Atmos. Environ. 26A, 2389–2399.
Metcalfe, S. E. Whyatt, D. and Derwent, R. G.: 1995, ‘A Comparison of Model and Observed Network Estimates of Sulphur Deposition Across Great Britain for 1990 and Its Likely Source Attribution’, Q. J. Royal Met. Soc. 121, 1387–1412.
Noordijk, H.: 1996, ‘The Variability of PM10 Concentrations in the Netherlands: Implications for a Smog Warning System’, J. Aerosol Sci. 27, S683–S684.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): 1979, ‘Programme on the Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants’, 2nd edition. Paris: OECD.
Perrin, D. A.: 1986, ‘Modelling the Transport and Removal of Sulphur Dioxide Emissions in the United Kingdom’, Report Number LR 560 (AP). Stevenage: Warren Spring Laboratory.
QUARG: 1993, ‘Urban Air Quality in the United Kingdom’, First Report of the Quality of Urban Air Review Group, Department of the Environment, U.K.
QUARG: 1996, ‘Airborne ParticulateMatter in the United Kingdom’, Third Report of the Quality of Urban Air Review Group, Department of the Environment, U.K.
Roberts, D.: 1997, ‘The Role of Aerosols in Climatic Change’, Proceedings of the 11th Annual General Conference of The Aerosol Society. Warwick, U.K., 18–20 March.
Schimmel, H. and Murawski, T. J.: 1975, ‘SO2– Harmful Pollutant or Air Quality Indicator?’, J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc. 25, 739–740.
Spengler, J. D., Brauer, M. and Koutrakis, P.: 1990, ‘Acid Air and Health’, Environ. Sci. Technol. 24, 946–956.
Stedman, J. R.: 1997, ‘A U.K.-Wide Episode of Elevated Particle (PM10) Concentration in March 1996’, Atmos. Environ. 31, 2381–2383.
United Kingdom Review Group on Acid Rain: 1987, ‘Acid Deposition in the United Kingdom 1981–1985’, Second Report, Department of the Environment. Stevenage: Warren Spring Laboratory.
United Kingdom Review Group on Acid Rain: 1990, ‘Acid Deposition in the United Kingdom 1986–1988’, Third Report, Department of the Environment. Stevenage: Warren Spring Laboratory.
United Kingdom Terrestrial Effects Review Group: 1988, ‘The Effects of Acid Deposition on the Terrestrial Environment in the United Kingdom’, First Report, Department of the Environment. London: HMSO.
Vlasenko, A. L., Ankilov, A. N., Baklanov, A. M., Smolyakov, B. S., Pavluk, L. A.: 1997, ‘Measurement of Sulphate Species in Ambient Aerosol’, J. Aerosol Sci. 28, S123–S124.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Micallef, A., Colls, J.J. Analysis of Long-term Measurements of Airborne Concentrations of Sulphur Dioxide and SO42- in the Rural United Kingdom. Environ Monit Assess 57, 277–290 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006047400508
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006047400508