Neutral rains at Athens, Greece: a natural safeguard against acidification of rains

Kita, I; Sato, T; Kase, Y; Mitropoulos, P

dc.contributor.author	Kita, I	en
dc.contributor.author	Sato, T	en
dc.contributor.author	Kase, Y	en
dc.contributor.author	Mitropoulos, P	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-01T01:54:00Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-01T01:54:00Z
dc.date.issued	2004	en
dc.identifier.issn	0048-9697	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://dspace.lib.ntua.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/27163
dc.subject	neutral rain	en
dc.subject	chemical and isotopic compositions	en
dc.subject	Ca content	en
dc.subject	dust	en
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Sciences	en
dc.subject.other	SAHARAN DUST	en
dc.subject.other	ACIDITY	en
dc.subject.other	EUROPE	en
dc.subject.other	JAPAN	en
dc.title	Neutral rains at Athens, Greece: a natural safeguard against acidification of rains	en
heal.type	journalArticle	en
heal.language	English	en
heal.publicationDate	2004	en
heal.abstract	Samples of all rains in a period from October, 1998 to January, 1999 at Athens, Greece, were collected. The pH values of almost all of these rains clustered in a high range of 7.0-7.5, with no relation between pH and their SO42-, NO3- and Cl- contents. In addition, a few rains with low contents of chemical components similar to pure water also were observed, giving a pH (approx. 5.5) of rain caused by dissolution of only atmospheric CO2 in it. These results indicate that the level of air pollution of Athens by human activity has become lower during the last decade, restoring the neutral condition of rain in this area. Furthermore, the Ca contents and Ca/Mg ratios in these rains, as well as their chemical and isotopic behavior, suggest that particles of calcium carbonate taken in as dust act as a neutralizer of rains. The dust must be derived not only from the urban area of Athens but also from its environs or areas distant from it. Such a mechanism causing universally neutral rains throughout the rainy season at Athens must have worked as a natural safeguard against rains acidified naturally and artificially from ancient times up to recent years, keeping the remains of ancient Greece in a good state of preservation during such a long period. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.	en
heal.publisher	ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV	en
heal.journalName	SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT	en
dc.identifier.isi	ISI:000222155200021	en
dc.identifier.volume	327	en
dc.identifier.issue	1-3	en
dc.identifier.spage	285	en
dc.identifier.epage	294	en