Organic nitrogen in precipitation across Europe

[摘要] Measurements of total nitrogen and inorganic nitrogen in precipitation samples fromNitroEurope sites across Europe permit the calculation of organic nitrogen concentrations andwet deposition, by difference. The contribution of organic N to total N in precipitation rangedfrom only a few % to around 40% across 18 sites from northern Finland to Italy, similar toresults from previous individual studies. This paper presents the absolute and relativecontributions of organic N to wet N deposition across Europe, and examines seasonal trends.There were only weak correlations with other solutes in precipitation. These simple statisticsindicate that sources of organic N in precipitation vary across Europe, and that no singlesource is responsible. The organic N contributes to total N deposition, yet this input is rarelyquantified in nitrogen budgets.

[学科分类] 地球化学与岩石