MULTIMEDIA CONCENTRATIONS OF HEAVY-METALS AND MAJOR IONS FROM URBAN AND RURAL SITES IN NEW-BRUNSWICK, CANADA

Concentrations of heavy metals and major ions were measured in precipi tation, snowpack, garden soils and vegetables from urban and rural sit es in New Brunswick in Atlantic Canada. Atmospheric loading of mercury , lead, cadmium, arsenic, strontium, and vanadium need further assessm ent. Vanadium concentrations in precipitation, snowpack, soils and veg etables showed an urban influence. Vanadium concentrations in the snow pack ranged between <2.0 ppb at 50 kilometers from the city center to 31.4 ppb in the city. Concentrations of all heavy metals in urban soil s were less than CCME remediation guidelines but selected metals excee ded the assessment benchmark nonregulatory guidelines. Major ions were consistently higher in event precipitation than the snowpack. The ord er of ion elution from the snowpack was NO3 > SO4 > NH4 > H > Mg > Cl > Na > K. Hydrogen ion equivalents were highest in the snowpack and pr ecipitation from urban samples. Mean hydrogen ion concentrations range d from 11 to 22 mu eq L-1 in the snowpack compared with 18 to 41 mu eq L-1 in event precipitation.