Wet deposition of elemental carbon in Lithuania

Elemental carbon (EC) was measured in monthly precipitation samples at 14 r ural sites in Lithuania from December 1986 to June 1990. The amount of EC i n the sample was determined by the light reflectance method after a procedu re including the filtration through a 0.2-mu m polyamide membrane filter, t he: chemical digestion of biogenic material and the dispersion of the mixtu re in an ultrasonic bath. Monthly elemental carbon concentrations in the pr ecipitation samples during the measurement period at the Preila site varied from 8 to 530 mu g l(-1) with a volume-weighted mean of 100 mu g l(-1). Th e range of EC monthly deposition fluxes was from 0.5 to 25 mg m(-2) month-l for all the sites. The wet deposition of elemental carbon is doubled durin g the cold season of the year. The estimated mean value of EC washout ratio for Preila site is 97 (range 5-243). An even distribution of the elemental carbon deposition is characteristic for the rural sites in Lithuania and m ean monthly deposition flux can be estimated as 6.2 mg m(-2) month(-1). It results in the deposition of approximately 4800 t of elemental carbon to th e area of Lithuania annually. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.