Ionic composition of wet precipitation in the Petra Region, Jordan

The results of chemical analysis of precipitation samples collected in Petra between October 2002 and May 2004 are presented. All samples were analyzed for major cations (NH4+, Na+, K+, CA(2+) and Mg2+), major anions (Cl-, NO3-, HCO3- and SO42-) conductivity and pH. The daily sample pH values ranged from 5.71 to 8.15 with an average value of 6.85 +/- 0.5. Rainwater quality is characterized by low salinity and neutralized pH. Generally, the pH is high due to dust in the atmosphere, which contains a large fraction of calcite. Factor analysis was used to identify the factors that affect the presence of ions in wet precipitation; these factors permitted the identification of three source groups, namely crustal dust, sea-salt spray and combustion products. In general, the results of the present study suggest that the atmospheric composition in the Petra region is strongly influenced by natural sources rather than anthropogenic sources. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.