Trends in the Rainfall Composition over Russia's Territory

V. P. Zverev, O. Yu. Varvanina, and V. S. Putilina

Institute of Environmental Geoscience, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulanskii per. 13, Moscow, 101000 Russia

Received May 14, 1996

Abstract—Over the past 30 years, certain changes have been taking place in the chemical composition of the
atmospheric precipitation over Russia’s territory. The rainfall mineralization and the content of the bulk of mac-
rocomponents have increased while their acidity decreased somewhat (pH rising slightly), which is explained
by a high neutralizing capacity of cations. At the same time, a sufficiently acid rainfall hazardous to the envi-
ronment, and, above all, to vegetation and surface waters, is recorded in the industrial regions as before.