Effects of acid deposition on paints and metals: Results of a controlled field study

Abstract

A controlled field study was conducted in Research Triangle Park, NC to determine the impact of acid deposition on paints and metals. A computer-controlled system was designed so that test panels of galvanized steel, five exterior paints and Teflon could be exposed under the following conditions: (1) dry deposition only; (2) dry plus ambient wet deposition; and (3) dry deposition plus deionized water. A 78-day, 11-rain-event exposure experiment was conducted in which ambient and DI run-off samples were collected from each material on a rain-event basis and chemically analyzed. The run-off results show that the dry and wet deposition of acidic species accelerates the dissolution rates of galvanized-steel corrosion products and alkaline compounds in exterior paints. CaCO 3 and ZnO in latex paints and Al in aluminum flake paint react with acids either directly deposited or produced in thin films of moisture covering the surfaces. The results indicate that the uptake of SO 2 into moisture is strongly influenced by the reactivity of the material towards H +. Galvanized steel was found to have the highest SO 2 deposition velocity, whereas an oil-based paint, containing no known alkaline compounds, had the smallest value. Run-off results also suggest that Zn corrosion products were dissolved in ambient precipitation by acids produced by dissolved CO 2.