Considering Factors for Ion Concentrations in Precipitation at the Savannah River Site
Precipitation was collected from three different areas on the Savannah River Site during 2021. The precipitation was analyzed for concentrations of 29 different ions and compared with data on factors such as wind speed, wind direction, rain drop sizes, and more. The 2021 ion concentrations were also compared to the ion concentrations from previous years at the site as well as from Santee National Wildlife Refuge which is nearby. The historical ion concentrations data was gathered from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program. Scatter plots and correlation coefficients were used to identify what factors may have the greatest impact on ion concentration in rainwater. The data generally followed the same trends with a few notable outliers. There initially seemed to be a strong correlation between the mean diameter and some ion concentrations as both increased in July. However, ion concentrations in different areas were related to different wind directions, thus spatial variability must be considered. These factors, spatial variability of atmospheric particles and wind direction, impact concentrations of ions in precipitation.