Chemical composition of rainwater at three sites in Kandy/Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and its effect on air pollution

The composition of atmospheric precipitation, an important criterion considered to account for air pollution, is usually determined with respect to wet precipitation and dry precipitation, or as bulk deposition in combined form. Although rainwater quality should be continuously monitored in order to...

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Main Authors: L.S. Madhushani, T.N. Dharmapriya, B.D.P. Dharaka, M.P. Deeyamulla, N. Priyantha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-12-01
Series:Energy Nexus
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772427123000736
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author L.S. Madhushani
T.N. Dharmapriya
B.D.P. Dharaka
M.P. Deeyamulla
N. Priyantha
author_facet L.S. Madhushani
T.N. Dharmapriya
B.D.P. Dharaka
M.P. Deeyamulla
N. Priyantha
author_sort L.S. Madhushani
collection DOAJ
description The composition of atmospheric precipitation, an important criterion considered to account for air pollution, is usually determined with respect to wet precipitation and dry precipitation, or as bulk deposition in combined form. Although rainwater quality should be continuously monitored in order to understand the extent of air pollution, such investigation lacks attention in Sri Lanka. This study was thus aimed to determine the composition of bulk deposition collected weekly for a period of eleven months from February to December 2019, in three sampling locations; namely the University of Peradeniya (UOP), Kandy City Central (KCC) and Polgolla. Parameters quantitatively determined, rainfall, pH, conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, anions: Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, F−, PO43− and trace metals: Zn, Fe, Al, Mn, Cu, Pb, Cr, using standard analytical methods indicated that the KCC site showed the overall highest degree of air pollution followed by UOP and Polgolla sites. Nevertheless, no acid rain occurrences were observed during the sampling period in any of the three sites according to pH measurements. Anions of bulk deposition showed the sequence Cl−> SO42− > NO3−in all three sites with Cl−and SO42- being dominant anions. Furthermore, trace metals of bulk deposition showed the sequence, Zn > Fe > Al > Mn > Cu > Pb, in all three sites. Bulk precipitation data analyzed using Pearson correlation showed high positive significant correlations between conductivity and salinity, conductivity and TDS, and salinity and TDS, among all water quality parameters. Among trace metals, the highest positive significant correlation was found to be between Fe and Mn at the UOP Site. The highest positive significant correlation was between Al and Zn at the KCC site. No correlation between trace metals was found at the Polgolla Site.
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spelling doaj.art-480d857d57c944d496b08270bbdcc2fa2023-12-12T04:36:52ZengElsevierEnergy Nexus2772-42712023-12-0112100243Chemical composition of rainwater at three sites in Kandy/Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and its effect on air pollutionL.S. Madhushani0T.N. Dharmapriya1B.D.P. Dharaka2M.P. Deeyamulla3N. Priyantha4Department of Environmental and Industrial Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri LankaDepartment of Environmental and Industrial Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri LankaDepartment of Environmental and Industrial Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri LankaDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri LankaDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; Corresponding author.The composition of atmospheric precipitation, an important criterion considered to account for air pollution, is usually determined with respect to wet precipitation and dry precipitation, or as bulk deposition in combined form. Although rainwater quality should be continuously monitored in order to understand the extent of air pollution, such investigation lacks attention in Sri Lanka. This study was thus aimed to determine the composition of bulk deposition collected weekly for a period of eleven months from February to December 2019, in three sampling locations; namely the University of Peradeniya (UOP), Kandy City Central (KCC) and Polgolla. Parameters quantitatively determined, rainfall, pH, conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, anions: Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, F−, PO43− and trace metals: Zn, Fe, Al, Mn, Cu, Pb, Cr, using standard analytical methods indicated that the KCC site showed the overall highest degree of air pollution followed by UOP and Polgolla sites. Nevertheless, no acid rain occurrences were observed during the sampling period in any of the three sites according to pH measurements. Anions of bulk deposition showed the sequence Cl−> SO42− > NO3−in all three sites with Cl−and SO42- being dominant anions. Furthermore, trace metals of bulk deposition showed the sequence, Zn > Fe > Al > Mn > Cu > Pb, in all three sites. Bulk precipitation data analyzed using Pearson correlation showed high positive significant correlations between conductivity and salinity, conductivity and TDS, and salinity and TDS, among all water quality parameters. Among trace metals, the highest positive significant correlation was found to be between Fe and Mn at the UOP Site. The highest positive significant correlation was between Al and Zn at the KCC site. No correlation between trace metals was found at the Polgolla Site.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772427123000736Atmospheric precipitationBulk depositionAcid rainPearson correlationKandyRainwater
spellingShingle L.S. Madhushani
T.N. Dharmapriya
B.D.P. Dharaka
M.P. Deeyamulla
N. Priyantha
Chemical composition of rainwater at three sites in Kandy/Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and its effect on air pollution
Energy Nexus
Atmospheric precipitation
Bulk deposition
Acid rain
Pearson correlation
Kandy
Rainwater
title Chemical composition of rainwater at three sites in Kandy/Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and its effect on air pollution
title_full Chemical composition of rainwater at three sites in Kandy/Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and its effect on air pollution
title_fullStr Chemical composition of rainwater at three sites in Kandy/Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and its effect on air pollution
title_full_unstemmed Chemical composition of rainwater at three sites in Kandy/Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and its effect on air pollution
title_short Chemical composition of rainwater at three sites in Kandy/Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and its effect on air pollution
title_sort chemical composition of rainwater at three sites in kandy peradeniya sri lanka and its effect on air pollution
topic Atmospheric precipitation
Bulk deposition
Acid rain
Pearson correlation
Kandy
Rainwater
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772427123000736
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