The Effects of Varying Sampling Flow Rates on the Measurements of Total Nitrate and Sulfate in Dry Acid Deposition

One technique for determining dry acid deposition fluxes involves measurement of time - averaged ambient concentrations of dry acid deposition species using filter packs (FP) coupled with estimates of mean deposition velocities for the exposure period. A critical problem associated with filter pack data comparisons between various field sampling networks is the use of diverse sampling flow rates and duration protocols. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of varying sampling flow rates, from 1.5 to 10 standard liters per minute, on total nitrate and sulfate measurements of specific dry acid deposition species . Collocated FP samplers were used to determine sampling and analysis data reproducibility and representativeness . Ambient air samples were simultaneously collected using groups of filter packs operated at various flow rates over identical 7 day periods. The species measured were sulfur dioxide, particulate sulfate , nitric acid and particulate nitrate. Statistical results (ANOVA; alpha level 5%) showed that neither the low nor high sampling flow rates caused a significant difference in the measurements of total sulfate and adjusted total nitrate (ATN) . However, it was concluded that for high flow rate sampling measurements, total nitrate (TN) could be affected during extended sampling durations because of potential nitric acid overloading and breakthrough. Although the previous workers (Costello, 1990; Quillian, 1990) used much higher sampling flow rates (~ 17 sLpm) than employed here, it was assumed that for a high loading (> 50$\mu\textrm{g}$ HNO$_3$) of nitric acid on the Nylon filters, a significant fraction (~10%) of nitric acid could pass through the Nylon filters and be collected on the carbonate impregnated filters. It was concluded that even at the highest sampling flow rate employed (10 sLpm) at the Cary Forest site, nitric acid breakthrough was less than 10% of the total HNO$_3$ collected. However, for a heavily polluted urban airshed or with longer sampling times , higher filter loadings could result in substantial nitric acid breakthrough and HNO$_3$concentrations would be underestimated.