Number: 1999-031-1-600
Title: Atmospheric Deposition and its Impact on Ecosystems,
with Reference to the Mid-East Region
Task Group
Chaiman: R. Van
Grieken
Members:
V. Klein, T. M. Tavares,
E. Ganor, M.
Luria, J. Slanina,
I. Allegrini, S.
Larsen, E. Puskaric,
Y. Shevah
Completion Date: 2002 - Project completed
Objective:
Atmospheric deposition of pollutants onto aquatic ecosystems is particularly
relevant for semi-arid zones, like the Middle East countries, including
Israel and the neighboring states. The proposed two day workshop would
bring together internationally recognized experts in the field of atmospheric
deposition of pollutants on aquatic ecosystems with scientists of the
Middle East and with members of IUPAC DCE (VI.) and other interested
bodies.
Description:
Atmospheric contamination has been shown to be a major source of
pollutants including the harmful heavy metals, like lead and cadmium,
in coastal seas. Fresh water lakes and water reservoirs might be even
more threatened by pollutants of atmospheric origin. Components that
are of particular concern are nitrogen compounds which may cause eutrophication,
resulting in anoxia and nitrification of drinking water, mercury and
other heavy metals, chlorinated compounds and other persistent organic
pollutants, polycyclic organic matter, etc. In the USA, hundreds of
lakes and streams could no longer sustain life, while the threat to
forests and watersheds in many parts of the world is growing. In Israel,
e.g., the fresh water Sea of Galilee, which supplies 30-40% of the water
demand and whose quality was very stable for many years, is now showing
a very unstable quality which may also be due to atmospheric emission
and deposition. At the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, wet deposition
originating from marine aerosols, maritime di-methyl sulphide gas, anthropogenic
emissions from local sources and transport from Europe are compounded
by the scavenging of alkaline Saharan desert dust, having a magnified
effect on the cloud physics and chemistry and subsequently on the deposition
onto terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Progress:
> See Workshop announcement: Chem
Int.
22(1), 2000, including second circular
> Workshop
Report - 7 July 2000 ; published in Chem.
Int. 22(6), 2000
> Proceedings
- edited by R. Van Grieken and Y. Shevah, published by Universiteit
Antwerpen, Belgium, 2002
Project completed
Last Update: 14 February 2003
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