Processes and Rates of Deposition of Air Pollutants in Different Ecosystems

Abstract

This paper describes some studies on the transport mechanisms (dryfall, wetfall, aerosols) of some air pollutants (trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons) related to their deposition on epiphytic moss. Further, the different transport mechanisms of these pollutants are compared between urban, suburban, industrial, agricultural and forested sites together with their temporal and seasonal variations. Multivariate statistical modeling is applied in order to establish relationships 1) between traditionally measured air pollutants (e.g. SO₄) and those rarely observed (e.g. PAH, trace metals), 2) between air pollutants of different transport characteristics and their deposition on epiphytic moss in forests. Finally, regionally different temporal behaviour of air pollution will be explained as dominated by immission or, on the other hand, by air flow.