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ACID RAIN MONITORINGIN THE ADIRONDACKS AND CATSKILLS

Garry BoyntonNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Albany, New York

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OUTLINEDATA SOURCES

SITE LOCATIONS

SO4, NO3 AND pH Trends

SUMMARY

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WHY DOES DEC MONITOR ACID RAIN?

STATE ACID DEPOSITION CONTROL ACT (SADCA) MANDATE

INCREASED SPATIAL ACID RAIN MONITORING COVERAGE ACROSS THE STATE ESPECIALLY IN ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE REGIONS, SUCH AS THE ADIRONDACKS.

MORE THAN HALF OF DEC ACID RAIN SITES MONITOR OTHER POLLUTANTS INCLUDING SO2, O3, PM2.5 AND METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS.

DEC MONITORS ARE LOCATED IN SUBURBAN, URBAN AND RURAL AREAS.

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NEW YORK DATA SOURCES

DEC - 20 SITES COLLECTING SINCE 1986 – SIX ARE IN THE ADIRONDACKS AND CATSKILLS. http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dar/baqs/acidrain/index.html

NADP - 11 SITES COLLECTING SINCE 1978 – FOUR ARE IN THE ADIRONDACKS AND CATSKILLS.http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/sites/sitemap.asp?state=ny

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MAP OF SITES

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BELFORT RAIN GAUGE and VIKING HYETOMETER

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WHITEFACE SULFATE

0

0.51

1.52

2.5

19841986198819901992199419961998200020022004

YEAR

MG

/L NYSDECNADP

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WHITEFACE NITRATE

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

YEAR

MG

/L NYSDECNADP

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WHITEFACE - pH

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

4.7

4.8

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

YEAR

pH NYSDEC

NADP

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SULFATEADIRONDACKS SULFATE y = -0.0465x + 94.346

R2 = 0.5117

00.5

11.5

22.5

3

1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

YEAR

MG

/L w

t

YR SO4Linear (YR SO4)

CATSKILLS SULFATE

y = -0.057x + 115.4R2 = 0.6512

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

YEAR

MG

/L w

t

YR SO4Linear (YR SO4)

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NITRATEADIRONDACKS

y = -0.0118x + 24.842R2 = 0.1037

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

YEAR

MG

/L w

t

YR NO3Linear (YR NO3)

CATSKILLS

y = -0.018x + 37.211R2 = 0.2663

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

YEAR

MG

/L w

t

YR NO3Linear (YR NO3)

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pHADIRONCACKS

y = 0.0119x - 19.243R2 = 0.4393

4.14.24.34.44.54.64.74.8

1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

YEAR

pH w

t YR pHLinear (YR pH)

CATSKILLS

y = 0.0126x - 20.834R2 = 0.5885

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

4.7

1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

YEAR

pH w

t YR pHLinear (YR pH)

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ALL NYS SITES – SULFATE

y = -0.0546x + 3.5703R2 = 0.7134

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

YEAR

MG

/L w

t

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

1,00

0 TP

Y SO

2

ALL SITESUS SO2 EMISSIONSLinear (ALL SITES)

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SULFATE – ALL SITES

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ALL NYS SITES – NITRATE

y = -0.0114x + 1.9695R2 = 0.2228

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

YEAR

MG

/L w

t

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

22,000

24,000

26,000

28,000

30,000

1,00

0 TP

Y SO

2

ALL SITESUS NOx EMISSIONSLinear (ALL SITES)

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NITRATE – ALL SITES

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ALL NYS SITES - pHALL NYS SITES - pH y = 0.0133x + 4.2059

R2 = 0.7772

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

YEAR

pH w

t all sitesLinear (all sites)

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pH – ALL SITES

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SUMMARYSO4 CONCENTRATIONS HAVE DECREASED SUBSTANTIALLY DURING PAST 20 YEARS.NO3 CONCENTRATIONS HAVE DECREASED.pH HAS SHOWN SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT.THE DEPARTMENT PLANS TO CONTINUE THIS MONITORING PROGRAM.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSMany thanks to the following individuals that contributed to this presentation:

Robert Baker, Richard Dickinson, Joan Fleser, Brian Lay, Preston Lewis, Pat Lavin, Paul Sierzenga and James Trossbach – NYSDEC – Bureau of Air Quality Surveillance

Kevin Civerolo and Gopal Sistla, NYSDEC – Bureau of Air Quality Analysis and Research