University of Münster, Climatology Working Group, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2010 Nov;17(9):1563-73. doi: 10.1007/s11356-010-0343-x. Epub 2010 Jun 6.
The Atacama Desert in Northern Chile is one of the most arid places on earth. However, fog occurs regularly at the coastal mountain range and can be collected at different sites in Chile to supply settlements at the coast with freshwater. This is also planned in the fog oasis Alto Patache (20°49'S, 70°09'W). For this pilot study, we collected fog water samples in July and August 2008 for chemical analysis to find indications for its suitability for domestic use.
Fog water samples were taken with a cylindrical scientific fog collector and from the net and the storage tank of a Large Fog Collector (LFC).
The pHs of advective fog, originating from the stratus cloud deck over the Eastern Pacific, varied between 2.9 and 3.5. Orographic fog, which was formed locally, exhibited a pH of 2.5. About 50% of the total ionic concentration was due to sea salt. High percentages of sulfate and very high enrichment factors (versus sea salt) of heavy metals were found. Both backward trajectories and the enrichment factors indicate that the high concentrations of ions and heavy metals in fog were influenced by anthropogenic activities along the Chilean Pacific Coast such as power plants, mining, and steel industry.
We found no direct indication for the importance of other sources such as the emission of dimethyl sulfide from the ocean and subsequent atmospheric oxidation for acidity and sulfate or soil erosion for heavy metal concentrations. When fog water was collected by the LFC, it apparently picked up large amounts of dry deposition which accumulated on the nets during fog-free periods. This material is rinsed off the collector shortly after the onset of a fog event with the water collected first. During the first flush, some concentrations of acidity, nitrate, As, and Se, largely exceeded the Chilean drinking water limits. Before any use of fog water for domestic purpose, its quality should be checked on a regular basis. Strategies to mitigate fog water pollution are given.
智利北部的阿塔卡马沙漠是地球上最干旱的地方之一。然而，雾经常在沿海山脉出现，可以在智利的不同地点收集，为沿海定居点提供淡水。这也计划在雾绿洲 Alto Patache（20°49'S，70°09'W）进行。在这项试点研究中，我们于 2008 年 7 月和 8 月收集雾水样本进行化学分析，以寻找其适合家庭使用的迹象。
使用圆柱形科学雾收集器和大型雾收集器（LFC）的网和储水箱收集雾水样本。
来自东太平洋平流层云盖的平流雾的 pH 值在 2.9 到 3.5 之间变化。局部形成的地形雾的 pH 值为 2.5。总离子浓度的约 50%归因于海盐。发现硫酸盐的比例很高，重金属的富集因子（相对于海盐）非常高。后向轨迹和富集因子均表明，雾中高浓度的离子和重金属受到智利太平洋沿岸人类活动的影响，如发电厂、采矿和钢铁工业。
我们没有发现其他来源的重要直接迹象，例如海洋中二甲基硫的排放和随后的大气氧化对酸度和硫酸盐的影响，或土壤侵蚀对重金属浓度的影响。当 LFC 收集雾水时，它显然收集了大量在无雾期间积聚在网上的干沉降物。在雾事件开始后不久，首先收集的水就会将其从收集器上冲洗掉。在第一次冲洗中，一些酸度、硝酸盐、砷和硒的浓度大大超过了智利饮用水标准。在将雾水用于家庭用途之前，应定期检查其质量。还给出了减轻雾水污染的策略。
