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Quality of wet deposition in the Grand Calumet River watershed, northwestern Indiana, June 30, 1992-August 31, 1993

Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4172
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https://doi.org/10.3133/wri954172

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Abstract

Northwestern Indiana is one of the most heavily industrialized and largest steel-producing areas in the United States. High temperature processes, such as fossil-fuel combustion and steel production, release contaminants to the atmosphere that may result in wet deposition being a major contributor to major ion and trace-metal loadings in north- western Indiana and Lake Michigan. A wet-deposition collection site was established at the Gary (Indiana) Regional Airport in June 1992 to monitor the chemical quality of wet deposition. Weekly samples were collected at this site from June 30, 1992, through August 31, 1993, and were analyzed for pH, specific conductance, and selected major ions and trace metals. Forty-eight samples collected during the study were of sufficient volumes for some of the determinations to be performed. Median constituent concentrations were determined for samples collected during warm weather and cold weather (November 1 through March 31). Median concentrations were substituted for missing values from samples with insufficient volumes for analysis of all the constituents of interest. Constituent concentrations were converted to weekly loadings. Two values were calculated to provide a range for the weekly loading for samples with measured concentrations of constituents less than the method reporting limit. The minimum weekly loading was computed by substituting zero for the constituent concentration; the maximum weekly loading was computed by substituting the method reporting limit for the concentration. If all of the sample concentrations measured were greater than the method reporting limit, an annual loading value was computed. The annual loadings could be used to assist in estimating the contribution of wet deposition to the total annual constituent loadings in the Grand Calumet River in northwestern Indiana.

Suggested Citation

Willoughby, T.C., 1995, Quality of wet deposition in the Grand Calumet River watershed, northwestern Indiana, June 30, 1992-August 31, 1993: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4172, v, 55 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/wri954172.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Quality of wet deposition in the Grand Calumet River watershed, northwestern Indiana, June 30, 1992-August 31, 1993
Series title Water-Resources Investigations Report
Series number 95-4172
DOI 10.3133/wri954172
Year Published 1995
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Description v, 55 p.
Country United States
State Indiana
Other Geospatial Grand Calumet River watershed
Additional publication details