“Dew” as a sink for sulphur dioxide

Calculations suggest that transfer of SO₂ into leaf wetness "dew" is relatively rapid and it should remain in equilibrium with the atmosphere. The volume of leaf wetness appears to be insufficient to absorb more than 0.3 % of the SO₂ emitted in the U.K. each year unless it is neutralized by alkaline materials such as ammonia. Analysis of leaf wetness in winter at a semi-rural site gave SO2_2/4- as 1.06 ± 0.56 × 10^-4 mol l^-1 which places the maximum deposition into "dew" over the U.K. at 0.12 Mtonne yr^-1 (2.3 % of emissions).