E&S Environmental

E&S has been at the forefront of scientific research in the United States over the past two decades to determine the levels of atmospheric deposition of air pollutants at which adverse effects on sensitive elements of natural ecosystems occur. These “critical loads” of atmospheric deposition represent air pollution and associated deposition levels below which damaged ecosystems are expected to recover and above which currently undamaged, but sensitive, ecosystems would be expected to become damaged. Quantitative estimates of critical load of sulfur and nitrogen air pollutants constitute essential information for environmental scientists and policy makers and support development of informed natural resource management decisions. Dr. Sullivan has served as an active member of the Critical Loads Ad Hoc Committee (CLAD) of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) since its inception. He has presented the results of E&S critical load studies at conferences and meetings of CLAD, the National Park Service, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and USDA Forest Service.

Click here for a list of publications related to critical loads.

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The interactive map shown above highlights critical loads projects throughout the United States lead by the E&S Environmental Chemistry scientific team. (Note: project areas shown on this map have not been georectified, and are for general display purposes only). For more information, click on a project area or point (these projects are also listed below as bullets).

Recent and ongoing E&S critical load projects include the following:

MAGIC model estimates of critical loads to protect against lake acidification in national parks in Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, and California (Client: National Park Service)
Development of an acid deposition standards feasibility assessment for the western and upper midwestern United States (Client: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
MAGIC model estimates of critical load for 66 streams in North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina (Client: USDA Forest Service)
Regional assessment of aquatic critical loads for streams in the Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, and Appalachian Plateau ecoregions in Virginia and West Virginia using the MAGIC and SSWC models (Clients: National Park Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Forest Service, and U.S. Geological Survey)
Workshop to evaluate feasibility of applying a process-based model, such as ForSAFE-VEG, to evaluate terrestrial critical loads and responses of alpine and subalpine vegetation to changes in atmospheric nitrogen inputs and climate (Clients: National Park Service and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
Summarize critical loads science for National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Air Quality Criteria Document on effects of atmospheric deposition of oxides of sulfur and nitrogen (Client: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
PnET-BGC and MAGIC model estimates of critical loads to Adirondack Mountain, New York terrestrial (soil, forests) and aquatic (lakes) resources (Client: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority)

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