Terms for describing atmospheric deposition of substances on surfaces

Relevance. The need to assess the state of the environment based on the use of terminology for quantitative chemical characteristics of the underlying surface as a result of deposition of pollutants in the composition of wet and dry fallout from the atmosphere. Aim. This study can be a source of information about the terminology used to describe the state of the underlying surface during the deposition of substances from the atmosphere, with links to scientific and technical literature. Methods. Review of some scientific and technical literature and an attempt to select terms used to quantify the ecological state of the underlying surface, mainly snow, after the arrival of substances as part of dry and wet deposition from the atmosphere, depending on the sampling method. Results and conclusions. The author has carried out an analysis of the scientific and technical literature and defined the terms applied to a quantity that has the dimension mass/area*time for assessing the ecological state of the snow cover, such as specific reserve (surface density), deposition density, atmospheric deposition density, precipitation intensity pollutant, daily deposition of chemical elements, technogenic load, dust load, pollution load (element), mass load, gas-aerosol load, technogenic pressure module, input module, atmospheric fallout module, mass of the determined component received at unit area, flux obtained on the basis of sampling during snow chemical survey. An analysis of the scientific and technical literature was also carried out and the terms applied to a value with the same dimension mass/area*time were defined to assess the ecological state of the underlying surface during the deposition of substances from the atmosphere, such as "fallout density", "atmospheric fallout density", “pollutant fallout intensity”, “aggravating substance", "precipitation", "critical load", "flow" obtained based on sample collection using plates, cuvettes, collections.