Testing the Bergerhoff method to determine the bulk deposition loads of 49elements

The suitability of the simple and rather cheap Bergerhoff method for the de termination of bulk deposition loads of 49 elements was tested. The method is suitable for the following elements: Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Th, Ti, Tl, V, W, Y and Zn provided that for some o f these elements one does not get total recovery with HNO3-digestion. This, nevertheless, supplies sufficient information for most concerns. Analytica l problems were encountered for the following elements: U and Te concentrat ions in our samples were close to the blanks; P and Ta were highly variable within the sampling areas; B, Hf and Zr leached out of the glass of the di gestion vessels; Hg is highly volatile. Field studies at three background sites in Switzerland, two on the northern side of the Alps and one in the southern Alps, showed higher burdens of el ement emissions in the latter, partly because of higher precipitation, and partly because of higher concentrations in the dust. An anthropogenic influ ence can be inferred for Ag, Bi, Cd, Cu, Hg, Mo, Pb, Sb, Te, W and Zn and p robably also for As, P, S (with associated Se) and Sn. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd. All rights reserved.