Chemical composition of rainwater in the northeastern Romania, Iasi region (2003–2006)

Chemical composition of rainwater was studied in the northeastern Romania, Iasi region, and the concentrations of major inorganic and organic ions were measured in samples collected between April 2003 and December 2006. The pH of the rainwater is 5.92 (volume weighted mean average, VWM) suggesting a sufficient load of alkaline components neutralizing its acidity. On average, 97% of the acidity in the collected samples is neutralized by CaCO3 and NH3. Clear seasonal variations were observed for some of the identified ions (e.g., SO42−, NO3−, Ca2+, NH4+). The data obtained during this work revealed that both concentrations and fluxes of anthropogenic source-related ions (e.g., SO42−, NO3− and NH4+) are among the highest reported for European sites. It is shown that meteorology and long-range transport processes may concur to their high levels.