A Comparison of Wet Deposition Collectors at a Coastal Rural Site

Abstract

Atmospheric deposition occurs in a variety of forms and is crucial for the evaluation of nutrient budgets, critical loads, and pollution inputs across space and time. Atmospheric wet deposition is typically quantified by analyzing the chemistry of precipitation that is collected in some type of container with a lid that opens in response to precipitation. However, collectors can vary in shape as well as in the sensor that signals when precipitation is occurring. Here, we compare the collectors made by Aerochem Metrics and N-CON Systems Company Inc. The former has been widely used for several decades, while the latter is relatively new and has been used in a variety of configurations depending on the solute of interest. Event-based samples were collected from August 2007 to October 2008 and analyzed for nitrate, ammonium, sulfate, chloride, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). A variety of approaches were used to assess the comparability of the two collectors. Regressions of concentration versus concentration from the two collectors were strong, and the slope did not differ from 1 for nitrate, ammonium, or sulfate. The median concentrations of nitrate, ammonium, and sulfate were, however, significantly higher in the N-CON collector, while there were no overall differences between collectors for chloride or DOC. Although we have observed some statistically significant differences between solute concentrations of samples collected from the two collectors, our mixed results suggest that these differences are relatively small.

Synchrony of Nitrogen Wet Deposition Inputs and Watershed Nitrogen Outputs Using Information Theory

“…The wet deposition and surface water collection sites are 23 m above sea level (Figure 2), 20 km from the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by mixed deciduous and coniferous forests and agricultural fields. An Aerochem Metrics (ACM) 301 wet‐only precipitation collector located in an open field was used from 2003 to 2008, and an N‐CON Systems Company Inc. Atmospheric Deposition Sampler (Model 00–120) located on a 30 m walk‐up tower was used from 2009 to 2021 (Liptzin et al., 2013). The open field collector and tower collector are approximately 300 m apart.…”

The Lamprey River Hydrological Observatory: Suburbanization and changing seasonality

“…Precipitation chemistry has been collected weekly since September 2003, at a single station in the lower part of the watershed. Samples were initially measured on an ACM 301 wet‐only precipitation collector (2003–2007) and then a N‐CON Systems Company Atmospheric Deposition Sampler (Liptzin et al, 2013). Temperature and precipitation data is provided by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC; Figure 1).…”

“…Additional samples are collected during selected storm events. All surface water samples are filtered through pre-combusted 0.7 μm Sampler (Liptzin et al, 2013). Temperature and precipitation data is provided by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC; Figure 1).…”