Organic components in bulk and wet‐only precipitation

Abstract

Data on the organic fraction of precipitation has been surveyed with respect to chemical speciation, bulk organic constituent determinations, sampling and storage techniques, and analytical methodologies. Investigations of the organic fraction have been carried out since the 1850s and were conducted for the purposes of monitoring ambient air pollution, geochemical nutrient cycling, and for the investigation of atmospheric processes of nucleation and washout. Despite the sustained interest in the organic chemistry of precipitation, no reports have presented a systematic evaluation of the concentration data, nor of the methods which have been utilized in the collection and identification of the organic components. This survey has been conducted in order to meet this need and also to provide recommendations based upon the assimilated data which will promote the comparability of subsequent research efforts.