| Emissions of trace metals to the atmosphere and sub-sequential deposition and resuspension process represent a potential threat to water bodies, ecosystems, and public health throughout coastal Los Angeles. However, few studies have quantified atmospheric deposition in Southern California. This research aims to increase our understanding of the role of atmospheric deposition as a potentially important source of trace metals and the role of subsequent resuspension on aquatic environments in the Los Angeles coastal region. Seasonal measurements of dry deposition were made at six urban and one non-urban site for one year. Dry deposition was significantly higher at urban sites compared with the non-urban site, and the dry atmospheric deposition is dominated by particles larger than 10 mum. The measured concentration and deposition flux at six sites within urban area is spatially uniform, indicating a major role for resuspension in the fate of particles by dispersing particle---associated metals regionally.; In addition, atmospheric deposition and runoff measurements (wet and dry) of particle-associated trace metals within an urban catchment made over a year indicates the dominance of dry deposition in Southern California, and shows that atmospheric deposition can potentially account for as much as 57 to 100% of the total trace metal loads in stormwater from the catchment.; Furthermore, freeways and other major roads act as a source of locally high deposition rates of copper, lead and zinc, primarily because of increased emissions of particles larger than 6 mum from the freeway. Because of resuspension, these large particles are consistently observed at urban background sites, but as a smaller percentage of the total mass as distance from the emission source increases. A modified Gaussian plume model shows that dispersion may he the most significant process of controlling the spatial variation of concentration and deposition near freeway.; Finally, this study demonstrates feasible protocols for a tracer technique involving labeling of porous silica particles with rare earth elements, clearly showing that labeled silica can be detected at dilutions typical of field environments where dilution is a major factor regulating contaminant concentration. |
