Atmospheric Deposition
and its Impact on Ecosystems
Proceedings of a symposium held in
Tel-Aviv, Israel, on 5-6 June 2000, under the auspices of IUPAC
R. Van Grieken
and Y. Shavah, eds.
Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium, 2002
The atmosphere provides the transport pathway for substantial inputs
into the environment of nitrogen, heavy metals, PCBs, chlorinated pesticides,
and other persistent organic compounds (POPs). Atmospheric deposition
may play a major role in the ecosystem dynamics, particularly in oligotrophic
oceanic seas, terrestrial ecosystems, and inland freshwater bodies.
Hundreds of lakes and streams can no longer sustain life, while the
threat to forests and watersheds in many parts of the world is fast
growing. In estuarine ares, extra nutrients can cause eutrophication
because of the large growth of algae populations and the subsequent
oxygen deficiency when the dead algae material decomposes. In Israel,
the fresh water Sea of Galilee, which suppplies 35% of the Israeli water
sypply, is now showing a very unstable quality and it is likely that
the large dust fall over the lake may exert a profound influence on
the properties and behaviour of the lake in general and on the water
quality in particular. In the Dead Sea area, ozone depletion was reported
to coincide with an interaction of atmospheric oxidants with bromide
at the Dead Sea salt pans.
The growing threats from atmospheric deposition and the increasing
needs to expand our knowledge were behind the convening of the International
Symposium. Papers were presented on: wet and dry atmospheric deposition;
long and short range transport, ozone depletion, trace metals and organic
pollutants; nitrogen and sulphur compounds and atmospheric dust. The
following topics were highlighted:
- Atmospheric processes related to the Middle East Region and the
regional influences of Europe and the Sahara on the local processes.
- Efforts which have been made to reduce, or control, the emissions
to air of sulphur and nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds,
and more recently, of metals and persistent organic compounds.
- The cycling of pollutants between atmospheric and the ecosystems
compartments and new experimental techniques for flux measurements.
- Atmospheric deposition research conducted under international co-operations.
The Symposium was held in Tel Aviv, Israel on June 5-6, 2000 and brought
together about 70 internationally recognised experts from USA, Europe,
the Mediterranean Region, and Israel. The Symposium was organized with
the support of IUPAC, Israel Ministry of the Environment, Israel Ministry
of Science, Israel Chemical Society and the Institute of Soil, Water
and Environmental Sciences, ARO. Some of the papers presented were compiled
for publication, in this special 170 pg. proceedings volume.
An extra supply for free distribution has been printed. Interested
scientists can request a copy free of charge, until the supply is exhausted
> Contact René Van Grieken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein
1, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium. E-mail: [email protected]
<www.uia.ac.be/u/iupac>
> Review originating
IUPAC project #1999-031-1-600