Annual Fluxes of Heavy Metal Elements in Atmospheric Dry and Wet Depositions in the Pearl River Delta Economic Region, Guangdong Province

There are 158 sampling points to be set up in the Pearl River delta economic region. The collecting period is mostly one year, namely, from July 2007 to July 2008. The eight heavy metal elements of Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Hg, and Cd in 474 dry and wet deposition samples were tested in terms of the standard procedures. Their average annual fluxes have no obvious difference between dry deposition and wet deposition. So these elements might be at an equilibrium or quasi-equilibrium state between dry deposition and wet deposition.

Dry deposition of ammonia around paddy fields in the subtropical hilly area in southern China

This study measured the ammonia(NH3)concentration and dry deposition within 100 m around paddy fields(0.6 ha)with double rice cropping in the subtropical hilly area in southern China,with the aims to quantify the dry deposition of NH3 around the emission source and to clarify its temporal and spatial variability.The results showed that high NH3 concentrations were found during the 15 d after nitrogen(N)fertilizer application at downwind sites within 100maround the paddy fields,and the NH3 concentrations were 12–62,2.8–7.3,13–38,and 4.9–36μg N m−3 during the 15 d after basal fertilizer application and topdressing in the early rice season and after basal fertilizer application and topdressing in the late rice season,respectively.The NH3 concentrations were relatively low(1.5–-3.8μg N m−3)during other periods of the rice season at the downwind sites,which indicated that N fertilizer application in paddy fields highly affected the NH3 concentration at downwind sites.The NH3 concentrations at the downwind sites decreased significantly with the increase in distance from the paddy fields.The total NH3 dry deposition around 100 m of the paddy fields accounted for approximately 79%and 81%of the emitted NH3 from the paddy fields in the early and late rice seasons,respectively.The results indicate that dry deposition of NH3 around emission sources may be an important way to remove the NH3 volatilized from croplands in this subtropical hilly area.

Estimation of the Total Dust Column and Dry Deposition Flux over the Yellow Sea,China Based on Shipboard Sun Photometer Measurements:Case Study

The total dust column and the dry deposition flux were calculated based on the optical properties that were measured by a shipboard sun photometer POM-01 MK II in a cloud-free and nonfrontal dust condition on 24 April 2006. The total dust column was calculated by using an integration method of the particle size distribution; the mean value was 1.42±0.30 g m 2. A linear correlation between the total dust column and the aerosol optical depth （AOD） with a linear factor of 2.7 g m 2 over the Sahara was applied to calculate the total dust column in this study; the results were lower than these calculated by the integration method. A reasonable factor of 3.2 g m^-2 was achieved by minimizing the standard deviation （SD） of the two methods. The two layers model, which includes the deposition processes of turbulent transfer, Brownian diffusion, impaction and gravitational settling over the sea＇s surface, was used to calculate the dry deposition flux; the mean value was 5.05±2.49 μg m^-2 s^-1. A correlation among the total dust column, dry deposition flux, AOD, and effective radius was discussed. The correlation between the total better than that between dust column and the AOD was the total dust column and the effective radius; however, the correlation between the dry deposition flux and the effective radius was better than that between the dry deposition flux and the AOD.

Simulating Dry Deposition Fluxes of PM_(10) and Particulate Inorganic Nitrogen over the Eastern China Seas During a Severe Asian Dust Event Using WRF-Chem Model

A WRF-Chem model including a comprehensive gas-phase nitrogen chemistry module was used to simulate a severe dust event appearing in the eastern China on 19-25 March, 2002. The modeling result well reproduced PM10 concentrations in various distances from the dust sources and the transport pathway of the dust strom. The results showed that both the concentrations and the dry deposition fluxes of PM10 increased over the China seas during the dust event following the passage of a cold front system. The maximum fluxes of PM10 in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea during the dust event were 5.5 and 8.4 times of those before the event, respectively. However, the temporal variations of the dry deposition fluxes of particulate inorganic nitrogen differed over the Yellow Sea from those over the East China Sea. Nitrate and ammonium in the whole northern China rapidly decreased because of the intrusion of dust-loaded air on 19 March. The dust plume arrived in the Yellow Sea on 20 March, decreasing the particulate inorganic nitrogen in mass concentration accordingly. The minimum dry deposition fluxes of nitrate and ammonium in the Yellow Sea were about 3/5 and 1/6 of those before the dust arrival, respectively. In contrast, when the dust plume crossed over the Yangtze Delta area, it became abundant in nitrate and ammonium and increased the concentrations and dry deposition fluxes of particulate inorganic nitrogen over the East China Sea, where the maximum dry deposition fluxes of nitrate and ammonium increased approximately by 4.1 and 2.6 times of those prior to the dust arrival.

A column study of the hydro-mechanical behavior of mature fine tailings under atmospheric drying

In this paper, the hydro-mechanical behavior and physical properties of mature fine tailings(MFT) under atmospheric drying are investigated through a column study. In the study, evaporation takes place in the development of suction in the upper parts of the column and increasing suction leads to higher strength in the tailings. After 5 days, the suction in the first lift is around 17 k Pa in the upper part of the column.When a second lift is added, the first lift initially loses strength but over a 30 days' period, the strength is recovered to its prior value and suction in the second lift reaches 500 k Pa. The vane shear strength values show a substantial increase in the strength of the MFT after 30 days under atmospheric drying and drainage. The 90% strength found in the column exceeds the threshold(5 k Pa). The hydraulic-mechanical properties of the deposited tailings are closely coupled due to several mechanisms, such as evaporation,drainage, self-consolidation, suction and crack development. The findings of this study will provide a better understanding of the placement behavior of multiple lifts of MFT and thus contribute to reclamation design standards and reduce the use of dedicated disposal areas.

Evaluation of Data Replacement Strategies for CASTNET Dry Deposition Modeling

The U.S. EPA （Environmental Protection Agency） established the CASTNET （Clean Air Status and Trends Network） and its predecessor, the NDDN （national dry deposition network）, as national air quality and meteorological monitoring networks. Both CASTNET and NDDN were designed to measure concentrations of sulfur and nitrogen gases and particles. Both networks also estimate dry deposition using an inferential model. The design was based on the concept that atmospheric dry deposition flux could be estimated as the product of a measured air pollutant concentration and a modeled deposition velocity （Vd）. The MLM （multi-layer model）, the computer model used to simulate dry deposition, requires information on meteorological conditions and vegetative cover as model input. The MLM calculates hourly Fa for each pollutant, but any missing meteorological data for an hour renders Vd missing for that hour. Because of percent completeness requirements for aggregating data for long-term estimates, annual deposition rates for some sites are not always available primarily because of missing or invalid meteorological input data. In this work, three methods for replacing missing on-site measurements are investigated. These include （1） using historical values of deposition velocity or （2） historical meteorological measurements from the site being modeled or （3） current meteorological data from nearby sites to substitute for missing inputs and thereby improve data completeness for the network＇s dry deposition estimates. Results for a CASTNET site used to test the methods show promise for using historical measurements of weekly average meteorological parameters.

Numerical Study on Dry Deposition Processes in Canopy Layer

A coupling model between the canopy layer(CL) and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) for the study of dry deposition velocity is developed. The model consists of six parts: chemical species conservation equation including absorptive factor; the species uptake action including detailed vertical variation of absorptive element in CL; momentum exchange in CL which is represented by a first-order closure momentum equation with an additional larger-scale diffusive term; momentum exchange in ABL which is described by a complete set of the ABL turbulent statistic parameters; absorptivity (or solubility or reflection) at the surface including effects of the physical and chemical characters of the species, land type, seasonal and diurnal variations of the meteorological variables; and deposition velocity derived by distributions of the species with height in CL. Variational rules of the concentration and deposition velocity with both height and time are simulated with the model for both corn and forest canopies. Results predicted with the bulk deposition velocity derived in the paper consist well with experimental data.

Study on the Characteristics of Atmospheric Dry and Wet Deposition in the Upper Reaches of Baiyangdian

To study the characteristics of atmospheric dry and wet deposition in the upper reaches of Baiyangdian,two sampling sites in Baoding City were monitored for 1 year from September 2018 to August 2019.The results showed that the dry and wet deposition fluxes of total nitrogen(TN)during the monitoring period were 6.87 and 6.46 kg/(hm^(2)·a),respectively.The ratio of wet to dry deposition of TN was approximately 1∶1,with wet deposition being dominated by ammonium nitrogen deposition.The dry and wet deposition fluxes of total phosphorus(TP)were 0.228 and 0.125 kg/(hm^(2)·a),and it was dominated by dry deposition.The average concentration of TN in wet deposition exceeded the standard threshold for eutrophic waters,and its ecological effects on the Baiyangdian basin should be concerned.Wet deposition fluxes of nitrogen and phosphorus had a significantly positive correlation with rainfall,while their deposition concentrations were negatively correlated with rainfall.The dry deposition of atmospheric nitrogen and phosphorus was influenced by the amount of dustfall and climatic factors such as rainfall,temperature,and humidity,which mainly occurred from April to August.

Enhanced atmospheric phosphorus deposition in Asia and Europe in the past two decades

There is increasing interest in understanding atmospheric phosphorus(P)deposition and its impacts on plant pro-ductivity and carbon sinks in ecosystems.However,the global pattern of P deposition remains poorly understood,primarily due to the sparseness of data in Asia.In this study,the authors compiled 396 published observations of atmospheric P deposition from 1959 to 2020 on the global scale.The results gave a geometric mean bulk P deposition value of 0.32 kg ha−1 yr−1,or a global P budget of 4.4 Tg yr−1.Compared with the period 1959-2000,the authors found an elevated P deposition in Europe and Asia during 2001-2020,likely due to the increas-ing agricultural emissions and fossil fuel combustion-related sources in addition to dust emissions.The findings highlight the need to quantify the impacts of elevated P deposition from anthropogenic emissions on long-term ecosystem development in the context of carbon neutrality and clean-air actions.

Atmospheric Sulfur Deposition for a Red Soil Broadleaf Forest in Southern China

A two-year study in a typical red soil region of Southern China was conductedto determine 1) the dry deposition velocity (V_d) for SO_2 and particulate SO_4^(2-) above abroadleaf forest, and 2) atmospheric sulfur fluxes so as to estimate the contribution of variousfractions in the total. Using a resistance model based on continuous hourly meteorological data,atmospheric dry sulfur deposition in a forest was estimated according to V_d and concentrations ofboth atmospheric SO_2 and particulate SO_4^(2-). Meanwhile, wet S deposition was estimated based onrainfall and sulfate concentrations in the rainwater. Results showed that about 99% of the drysulfur deposition flux in the forest resulted from SO_2 dry deposition. In addition, the observeddry S deposition was greater in 2002 than in 2000 because of a higher average concentration of SO_2in 2002 than in 2000 and not because of the average dry deposition velocity which was lower for SO_2in 2002. Also, dry SO_2 deposition was the dominant fraction of deposited atmospheric sulfur inforests, contributing over 69% of the total annual sulfur deposition. Thus, dry SO_2 depositionshould be considered when estimating sulfur balance in forest ecological systems.

Ammonia should be considered in field experiments mimicking nitrogen deposition

Excess nitrogen deposition has significant impacts on water eutrophication,soil acidification,eleveted greenhouse gas emissions,and biodiversity loss.These impacts mostly derive from conventional manipulative experiments in the field by adding nitrogen solution directly onto grassland or forest floors.For forest ecosystems,previous field experiments have usually ignored the nitrogen cycles in the canopy,which are important in responses to airborne nitrogen input.Although whole-forest canopy nitrogen fertilization has recently been conducted to promote our understanding of nitrogen deposition processes,spraying nitrogen solution onto plants still largely ignores the dry deposition of ammonia(as well as other gaseous reactive nitrogen species).To date,there have been a limited number of field studies that have investigated the bi-directional exchange of ammonia between the atmosphere and plants,not to mention the impacts of ammonia on natural ecosystems.Due to the increasing trend of atmospheric ammonia concentrations worldwide and its dominant role in nitrogen deposition and haze pollution,the next generation of experiments should mimick nitrogen deposition on natural ecosystems by further considering the dry deposition of ammonia.

Assessment of Nitrogen Pollutant Sources in Surface Waters of Taihu Lake Region

The nitrogen （N） pollution status of the 12 most important rivers in Changshu, Taihu Lake region was investigated. Water samples were collected from depths of 0.5-1.0 m with the aid of the global positioning system （GPS）. The seasonal variations in the concentrations of different N components in the rivers were measured. Using tension-free monolith lysimeters and ^15N-labeled fertilizer, field experiments were carried out in this region to determine variations of iSN abundance of NO3^- in the leachate during the rice and wheat growing seasons, respectively. Results showed that the main source of N pollution of surface waters in the Taihu Lake region was not the N fertilizer applied in the farmland but the urban domestic sewage and rural human and animal excreta directly discharged into the water bodies without treatment. Atmospheric dry and wet N deposition was another evident source of N pollutant of the surface waters. In conclusion, it would not be correct to attribute the N applied to farmlands as the source of N pollution of the surface waters in this region.

Effects of a Remotely Sensed Land Cover Dataset with High Spatial Resolution on the Simulation of Secondary Air Pollutants over China Using the Nested-grid GEOS-Chem Chemical Transport Model

A number of remotely sensed land cover datasets with spatial resolutions ~〈 1 km have recently become available or are in the process of being mapped. The application of these higher resolution and more up-to-date land cover datasets in chemical transport models （CTMs） is expected to improve the simulation of dry deposition and biogenic emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds （NMVOCs）, which affect ozone and other secondary air pollutants. In the present study, we updated the land cover dataset in the nested-grid GEOS-Chem CTM with the 1 km resolution GLC2000 land cover map and examined the resulting changes in the simulation of surface ozone and sulfate over China in July 2007. Through affecting the dry deposition velocities of ozone and its precursors, using GLC2000 in the dry deposition module can decrease the simulated surface ozone by 3% （up to 6 ppb） over China. Simulated surface sulfate shows an increase of 3% in northwestern China and a decrease of 1% in northern China. Applying GLC2000 in the biogenic emissions of the NMVOC module can lead to a 0.5--4.5 ppb increase in simulated surface ozone over East China, mainly driven by the larger cove~：age of broadleaf trees in East China in the GLC2000 dataset. Our study quantifies the large sensitivity to land cover dataset~ with different spatial resolutions and time periods of simulated secondary air pollutants over China, supporting ongoing research efforts to produce high resolution and dynamically updated land cover datasets over China, as well as for the globe.

Atmospheric deposition of inorganic nitrogen in a semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia, China

Due to increasing global demand for crop production and energy use, more and more reactive nitrogen（Nr） has been generated and emitted to the environment. As a result, global atmospheric nitrogen（N） deposition has tripled since the industrial revolution and the ecological environment and human health have been harmed. In this study, we measured dry and wet/bulk N deposition from July 2013 to December 2015 in a semi-arid grassland of Duolun County, Inner Mongolia, China. The samples of dry and wet/bulk N deposition were collected monthly with a DELTA（DEnuder for Long Term Atmospheric sampling） system and with Gradko passive samplers and a precipitation gauge. The measured results show that the annual mean concentrations of NH_3, NO_2, HNO_3, particulate NH_4~＋（pNH_4~＋） and particulate NO_3^-（pNO_3^-） in atmosphere were 2.33, 1.90, 0.18, 1.42 and 0.42 μg N/m3, respectively, and that the annual mean volume-weighted concentrations of NH_4~＋-N and NO_3^--N in precipitation were 2.71 and 1.99 mg N/L, respectively. The concentrations of Nr components（including NH_3, NO_2, HNO_3, p NH_4~＋, pNO_3^-, NH_4~＋-N and NO_3^--N） exhibited different seasonal variations. Specifically, NO_2 and HNO_3 exhibited higher concentrations in autumn than in summer, while the other Nr components（NH_3, pNH_4~＋, pNO_3^-, NH_4~＋-N and NO_3^--N） showed the highest values in summer. Based on measured concentrations of Nr components and their deposition velocities estimated using the GEOS-Chem global atmospheric chemical transport model, the calculated annual mean dry deposition fluxes were 3.17, 1.13, 0.63, 0.91 and 0.36 kg N/（hm^2·a） for NH_3, NO_2, HNO_3, p NH_4~＋ and pNO_3^-, respectively, and the calculated annual mean wet/bulk deposition fluxes were 5.37 and 3.15 kg N/（hm^2·a） for NH_4~＋-N and NO_3^--N, respectively. The estimated annual N deposition（including dry N deposition and wet/bulk N deposition） reached 14.7 kg N/（hm^2·a） in grassland of Duolun County, approaching to the upper limit of the N critical load（10–15 kg N/（hm^2·a））. Dry and wet/bulk deposition fluxes of all Nr components（with an exception of HNO_3） showed similar seasonal variations with the maximum deposition flux in summer and the minimum in winter. Reduced Nr components（e.g., gaseous NH_3 and p NH_4~＋ in atmosphere and NH_4~＋-N in precipitation） dominated the total N deposition at the sampling site（accounted for 64% of the total N deposition）, suggesting that the deposited atmospheric Nr mainly originated from agricultural activities. Considering the projected future increases in crop and livestock production in Inner Mongolia, the ecological and human risks to the negative effects of increased N deposition could be increased if no mitigation measures are taken.

Fluxes of NH_3 and HNO_3 over heathland in the Netherlands:implications for chemical interactions

The surface exchange of NH_3 and HNO_3 gases over heathland was measured with the aerodynamic gradient method in Leende,the Netherlands during April 25 and May 9,1991.Due to reactions in the system NH_3,HNO_3 and NH_4NO_3,the NH_3 deposition flux is overestimated,while HNO_3 shows apparent emission fluxes mostly during the field experiment.Results reveal that NH_3 gradients are influenced slightly by HNO_3 and the HNO_3 gradients are strongly controlled by the NH_3.A clear relationship between NH_3 and HNO_3 gradient is suggested by the Leende experiment. Before the late afternoon,NH_3 deposition gradients will cause HNO_3 upward gradients,meanwhile the NH_3 gradients themselves will become smaller.After the HNO_3 upward gradient reaches maxi- mum,the NH_3 deposition gradients will be enlarged or the emission gradients depressed,while the HNO_3 upward gradients become smaller.

Gap edge canopy buffering of throughfall deposition in a subalpine natural forest

Base cation loads are rarely considered in forest gap edge canopies,but they can play critical roles in capturing or buffering atmospheric deposition in forests with frequent gap disturbances,such as subalpine forests.We selected an expanded gap edge canopy and a closed canopy in a subalpine natural forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.The throughfall deposition and canopy exchange processes of common base cations(K^(+),Ca^(2+),Na^(+),and Mg^(2+))were continuously studied over two years.The results showed that the enrichment ratio and fluxes had lower levels of base cations in the gap-edge canopy than in the closed canopy,which indicated that base cations were concentrated more in the closed canopy than in the gap-edge canopy.Although Ca^(2+)in the gap-edge canopy showed a higher net throughfall flux,the annual net throughfall fluxes of K^(+),Na^(+) and Mg^(2+) within the gap-edge canopy were 1.83,6.75 and 2.95 times lower than those in the closed canopy,respectively.Moreover,dry deposition fluxes of base cations significantly decreased in the gap edge canopy compared to those in the closed canopy,and the decreasing tendency was more significant during the snowy season than during the rainy season.Overall,these results suggest that the amount of base cations in subalpine natural forest ecosystems may be overestimated when the throughfall deposition of ions in gap edge canopies is ignored.

Deposition of water-soluble inorganic ions in PM_(2.5) in a typical forestry system in Beijing,China

Background: Rapid economic development in China has resulted in an increase in severe air pollution in city groups such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitan Region. PM2.5(fine particles with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter of 2.5 μm or less) is one of the most important pollutants. The deposition process is an important way of removing particles from the air. To evaluate the effect of an urban forest on atmospheric particle removal, a concentration gradient method was used to measure the deposition velocities of water-soluble inorganics in PM2.5 in two national forest parks in Beijing, China. The following eight water-soluble inorganic ions in PM2.5 were investigated: sodium, ammonium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, nitrate, and sulfate.Methods: Samples were taken from two sites in Beijing from the 7 th to the 15 th May, 2013. The concentrations of water-soluble inorganic ions were analyzed with ion chromatography. We used the concentration gradient technique to estimate the deposition flux and velocity. To determine the relationships between leaf traits and particle accumulation, typical leaf samples from each selected species were studied using scanning electron microscopy.Results: The total deposition flux and total deposition velocity during the daytime were higher than those at night.Sulfate showed the biggest deposition flux and velocity at both study sites, whereas the other ions showed different trends at each site. Result from higher proportion of coniferous to broadleaved trees, the total deposition flux of the eight ions measured in Jiufeng National Forest Park was greater than that in Olympic Forest Park.Conclusions: The deposition velocity was affected by meteorological conditions such as wind speed, temperature,and humidity. The deposition velocity was also influenced by tree species. The surface of plants is an important factor influencing particle deposition. The results of this study may help in assessing the effects of forestry systems on particle removal and provide evidence for urban air pollution control and afforestation of urban areas.

Altitude-dependent distribution of 137Cs in the environment:a case study of Aragats massif, Armenia

This paper considers the distribution of technogenic 137Cs and naturally occurring radionuclides:238 U,232 Th and40 R concentrations in soils and 137Cs in atmospheric dry depositions by altitudinal belts of the Aragats mountain massif,Republic of Armenia.Undisturbed soil samples were collected at altitudes from 1000 to 3200 m.For the determination of geochemical variability,two soil sampling campaigns were undertaken.Atmospheric dry depositions were sampled from five stations at1100-3200 m collected onto organic fiber filters between June and December 2016.137Cs activity was measured using a high-purity Germanium detector coupled to a multichannel analyzer(Canberra).Results indicated that specific activity of 137Cs in soils at 1000 m is495-528 Bq m^-2,andat3200 mis10,500-11,470 Bq m^-2.No correlation observed for 137Cs versus naturally occurring radionuclides,which varies in distribution by altitude.Specific activities of 137Cs in dry atmospheric depositions varies from 1.06 at 846 m to2.37 Bq m^-2 per quarter at 3200 m and increases as the altitude increases.Activities of 137Cs in soil and dry atmospheric deposition correlated significantly,and 137Cs activity in soils and atmospheric dry depositions decrease as the absolute altitude decreases.The 50-year effective dose from exposure to 137Cs fallout varies with altitude from 0.007 to 1.42 m Sv.

The study on the depositional styles of major ions and the climatic effect of nssSO_4^(2-)in Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica

Snow samples collected from a 50 m firn core and two snow pits along the route of the 1996/1997 Chinese First Antarctic Inland Traverse Expedition in Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica, have been analyzed for chemical composition and oxygen isotope ratio. Analyzing the relationship between the concentration and flux of major ions and accumulation rate can draw the following conclusions. 1) The concentrations of major ions in the atmosphere in the study region is big enough so that the concentrations of the ions do not vary with snow accumulation rate, that is to say, the concentrations of major chemical species are independent of snow accumulation rate. 2) The results of analyzing the depositional styles of major chemical species suggest that wet deposition dominates the major ions flux. In addition, there is no apparent correlation between nssSO 2- 4 fluctuations and isotope profile. This would indicate the short-term climatic effect of volcanism is not evident in the region.

Major Ions in Atmospheric Deposition in Lake Kivu Basin

This study investigated the major ion composition and sources in wet and dry deposition samples collected over 15 months (December 2017 to February 2019) at four stations representing four different land use/cover types on the western side of Lake Kivu basin in D.R. Congo. The samples were collected every 13 days for dry deposition and two to three times per month for wet deposition. Samples were analyzed for major ionic components (Cl-, NO-3, SO2-4, Na+, K+, NH+4, Ca2+, CO2-3, HCO-3 and Mg2+). Electrical conductivity and pH were analyzed immediately in the field while major ion measurements were in the laboratory. Results showed the pH of both the dry and the wet depositions were higher than what would have been expected based on equilibration with atmospheric CO2 (pH > 5.6) at all four sites, with conductivity less than 50 μS/cm. The neutralization process in dry and wet atmospheric deposition is due to Ca2+, NH+4, HCO-3 and CO2-3. The anion: cation ratio in dry deposition was close to 1 for Iko and Bukavu, and it was greater than 1.0 (1.1 - 1.2) for Lwiro and Goma in wet deposition. The dominant anions in wet deposition were SO2-4 and NO-3, found around the rural area near cement factory and the urban area near active volcanoes, respectively. The most abundant cation was Na+ followed by K+. The enrichment factors and correlation analysis suggest that the main sources of Ca2+, Na+ and Mg2+ were disintegration of soil processes, aeolian suspension of soil and volcanic ash, biomass burning and the cement/lime factory around the Lake Kivu basin.