RAINWATER COMPOSITION IN ATHENS, GREECE

Wet precipitation-only samplers were used to collect wet deposition at two sites in the Athens basin, Greece for the period March 1986-February 1987. Concentrations of major cations (H+, NH+4, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and major anions (Cl-, NO-3 and SO2-4) were determined for the first time in rainwater samples in Greece. Bicarbonate concentrations were calculated. The relative importance of natural and anthropogenic sources were estimated by a chemical balance. The majority of rain collected has a neutral or alkaline character. Acidity was due to the presence of H2SO4 and HNO3. The statistical analysis of the correlation between the concentration of chemical species confirm the influence of natural and anthropogenic sources. In all samples, SO2-4 concentrations exceed NO-3 concentrations despite the dominance of low S oil burning in the region. The wet flux of S was calculatd to be 0.34 gm-2a-1. © 1989.