Characteristics and Seasonal Variations of Atmospheric Deposition of Selected Elements in the Urban and Industrial Environment of Košice (Slovakia)

This study aims to evaluate the impact of local emission sources on the environmental load through a detailed analysis of the atmospheric deposition (AD). The main sources of pollution are neighbouring iron and steelworks and typical urban sources, such as the heating plant, transport, construction, etc. Total atmospheric deposition, i.e. both wet and dry ones, were sampled from eleven sampling sites that have been placed on the roofs above the height of the surrounding buildings at a distance of 1 to 16 kilometers from the main source of pollution in the urban, suburban and rural areas. The atmospheric deposition fluxes of selected elements (Fe, Al, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, Cd, As) were determined separately for “water-soluble” and “insoluble phase” (particulate matter - PM) as well as in terms of the heating season for summer and winter half-year. The results from 2009–2020 are introduced. The average Fe deposition at urban stations in Košice was 2-3 times higher, compared with other urban areas. The very high values of iron deposition (9,181) and manganese (348 mg.m -2 .yr -1 ) were measured mainly at sites near the ironworks. The highest values of correlation coefficients were calculated by Pearson correlation analysis for the elements Fe, Mn and Cr but also for Al and PM. Higher values of correlation coefficients were calculated for the winter period. The monitored elements are bound to the insoluble component AD in the order of Fe, Al, Cr, Pb, Mn and As. Cadmium and zinc are preferably bound to the soluble phase for sites north of the ironworks. Significant differences for fluxes of AD of the most observed parameters were found between the summer and winter periods. In winter, higher values of AD were found for the elements Fe, Pb, Mn, Cr, and Cd. In the case of zinc and arsenic higher values were recorded in the summer period. The share of emission sources of iron and steelworks on the fluxes of iron at the urban sites in winter was more than doubled compared to the summer period. The smallest seasonal differences for all observed components were found at localities near the ironworks. Detailed analysis of AD showed that in addition to Fe, Mn, and Cr, the ironworks complex is also a source of dust particles, aluminum and other observed elements in descending order of lead, zinc, copper, arsenic and cadmium.