UNIVERSITY PARK - Acid
content of rain, snow, sleet, and
hail over Pennsylvania can be up
to 42 times more acidic than “pure
rain,” according to James A.
Lynch of the School of Forest
Resources at Penn State.
Lynch and associates examined
the acidity of rain and other forms
of precipitation from a network of
12 statewide monitoring sites in
1982.
The most acid precipitation fell
in the southwest portion of the
state, including an area as far east
as Centre County and north into
Mercer County. In general,
precipitation in the northeast
quarter of Pennsylvania was less
acidic than the rest of the state.
Acidity is expressed in pH units,
Lynch explained. On a scale of zero
to 14, any value below 7 is acid.
“Pure rain’’ and other
precipitation uncontaminated
by industries, autos, and power
plants has a pH of 5.6 to 5.7.
Each drop of one pH unit, say from
6 to 5, represents a tenfold increase
in acidity. A drop in pH from 6 to 4
means a hundredfold increase in
acidity.
The annual average pH ranged
from 3.98 in Armstrong County in
the west, the most acid, to 4.17 in
Pike County in the east.
Cooperating on the project was
Edward S. Corbett of the Nor
theastern Forest Experiment
Station of the U.S. Forest Service,
located at Penn State.
In general, the pH of
Automatic Farm Systems
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Acid rain study shows high
precipitation in 1982 was more acid
during the growing season than
during the rest of the year. This is
usually the case, Lynch said. The
average pH of rain during the
growing season varied from 3.92 to
4.08. The dormant season pH
ranged from 4.06 to 4.40.
“Throughout the Northeast,
adding manmade pollution to acid
precipitation produces an average
pH of 4.1 to 4.2,” he commented.
“This occurs when sulfur and
nitrogen oxides from the burning
of fossil fuels industries, autos,
and power plants react with
natural precipitation to form
sulfuric and nitric acid.”
The 12 monitoring sites covered
all major storm tracks passing
over the Commonwealth. In this
way, storms were sampled shortly
after coming over the state as well
as along one or more other points
while moving from west to east.
Sulfate was the dominant
compound in precipitation. Sulfate
concentrations were highest in the
center of the Commonwealth and
decreased both east and west, with
the decline most evident in the
east.
Of the total annual sulfate in
precipitation, 69 percent fell
during the growing season. During
the summer, solar radiation and
humidity combine to speed the
process that turns sulfur dioxide
in the air into sulfate. Air cir
culation is also slow in the sum
mer, leaving sulfates in the at
mosphere for long periods of time.
SPECIAL NOTICE
Refreshments Will Be Served
automatic farm systems
608 Evergreen Rd., Lebanon, PA 17042
(717) 274-5333
“High concentrations of sulfate
did not always occur in the area of
greatest sulfur dioxide emissions,”
Lynch stated. “This strengthens
our belief that pollutants can be
carried long distances through the
atmosphere.”
Nitrate pollution on the whole
was fairly uniform, with slightly
more present in the west than in
ANNAPOLIS, Md. Secretary
of Agriculture Wayne A. Cawley,
Jr., has announced the ap
pointment of Stuart K. J. Carr, Jr.,
to the position of Executive
Secretary, Maryland State
Tobacco Authority.
Carr grew up on a tobacco farm
in Southern Maryland and
presently owns and operates his
own tobacco and gram farm in
Brandywine, Prince George’s
County. Between the time of his
growing up and the establishment
of himself in farming, however,
Carr served for 20 years as a
member of the United States Air
Force. His primary Air Force
duties related to explosive or
dinance disposal which involved
him as an active participant in the
Viet Nam conflict. Upon his
retirement in 1973 he returned to
tobacco farming.
The major objective of the
Executive Secretary is to ensure
the orderly marketing of Maryland
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-INSTOCK
• Silo Unloaders
• Feed Conveyors
• Cattle Feeders
• Barn Cleaners
• Manure Pumps
Also a Large Stock Of
Parts On Hand
Md. names tobacco authority head
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 17,1984—A23
concentrations
the east. Nitrate may be a
significant .ulizer, it
was observed, since most of it is
deposited during the growing
season
Calcium, potassium, and
magnesium were found at very low
concentrations. They “buffer” or
neutralize acids in the atmosphere
and are considered essential plant
Type 32 tobacco. In pursuit of this
objective he is responsible for
setting sales quotas for
warehouses, investigates alleged
infractions of Maryland’s tobacco
rules and regulations and approves
buyer schedules for various
tobacco warehouses. He is also
responsible for administering
licensing procedures for
warehousemen and buyers.
During the market season which
this year runs from March 13
Warwick YF plans meeting
LITITZ Agriculture runoff
and the Chesapeake Bay is the
topic of the next Warwick Young
Farmers meeting on Monday at
7:30 p.m. in the Warwick High
School Ag Room.
The featured speaker will be C.
Victor Funk, Chief of the Water
shed Branch of DER. Funk will be
presenting the new state plan for
1984 EXCLUSIVE 111 SALE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 -11 A.M.
Guernsey Sale Barn, Lancaster, PA
THE 329th GARDEN SPOT SALE FOLLOWS:
A Total of 120 Registered Holsteins
THESE SELL IN THE
EXCLUSIVE 111 SALE
10 ExceJlents Sell!
4 from 91 to 94 pts
51 Sell from Excellent Dams!
-5 from dams 94 to 96 pts
-4 from dams 92 to 93 pts
-14 from dams at 91 pts.
-28 from dams at 90 pts.
- PRODUCTION -
2 sell over 30.000 lbs, milk. (1018 & 1101 fat)
24 sell from dams 1009 to 1576 lbs, fat!
-2 dams 1564 and 1576 lbs. fat
-6 dams 1218 to 1365 lbs. fat
-16 dams 1009 to 1186 lbs. fat
18 sell from dams 30.000 to 44.000 lbs, milk!
-4 dams 36,000 to 44,000 milk
-3 dams 33,000 to 34,000 milk
-4 dams 31,000 to 32,000 milk
-7 more dams over 30,000
-GREATPROVEN SIRES-
Valiant 14 dtrs., 1 son
Elevation
Glendell 7 dtrs., 2 sons
Jemini 6 dtrs
Bootmaker 5 dtrs., 2 sons
Pete 5 dtrs
Enchantment-8 ET package _ .
Columbus 4 dtrs. Conductor 3 dtrs
Send For Catalog To:
Further Details In Next
Week’s Paper For The Finest
Offering Ever In This
Spring Sale Series
nutrients. Thus they are beneficial.
Measurable concentrations of
chloride, ammonia, and sodium
also occurred in precipitation
during 1982. The highest con
centrations of sodium and chloride
were measured in the east due to
the ocean’s influence. Although
slight, ammonia levels were
highest in central Pennsylvania.
through April 26, he collects and
records daily and weekly sales
records from eight tobacco
warehouses to ensure that
established marketing procedures
are accurately adhered to and that
all tobacco marketing regulations
are followed.
“We welcome Mr. Carr to the
Department” said Secretary
Cawley, “and are confident that he
is capable of doing an outstanding
job as Executive Secretary”.
control of agricultural pollution,
especially in the Conestoga
watershed. Included in the state
plan are best management
practices of farms, community
methane digestion systems,
manure marketing programs and
manure analysis.
All interested
welcome.
-TYPE
7dtrs. Mars Tony
Tradtion
Bell
BACKUS ASSOCIATES, INC.
Sale Managers & Auctioneers
Mexico, NY 13114
(316-963-7231)
farmers
are
3 dtrs
3 dtrs
3 dtrs