 This paper is dedicated to Dr. Herbert Lux and to Prof. Dr. Otto Wienhaus, Tharandt, in appreciation of their long-stand- ing engagement for the understanding and improvement of air quality in southern Saxony, Germany. * Corresponding author. Tel.: #49-3731-393399; fax: #49- 3731-394060. E-mail address: matschullat@ioez.tu-freiberg.de (Jo K rg Mat- schullat). Atmospheric Environment 34 (2000) 3213}3221 Aerosol and bulk deposition trends in the 1990's, Eastern Erzgebirge, Central Europe  Jo K rg Matschullat*, Willy Maenhaut, Frank Zimmermann, Juliane Fiebig Interdisziplina ( res O $ kologisches Zentrum, AG Geoo ( kologie, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Brennhausgasse 14, D-09 599 Freiberg, Germany Instituut voor Nucleaire Wetenschapen, Universiteit Gent, Proeftuinstraat 86, B-9000 Gent, Belgium Institut fu ( rPyanzenchemie und Holzchemie, Technische Universita ( t Dresden, Pienner Stra}e 21, D-01 735 Tharandt, Germany Received 4 August 1999; received in revised form 27 October 1999; accepted 23 November 1999 Abstract Atmospheric aerosols were collected in the Eastern Erzgebirge, Germany, and a multi-element survey was carried out by PIXE, INAA, and GF-AAS for samples from 1992}1994 and 1996}1997 (Al, As, Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, I, In, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Se, Si, Sr, Ti, V, Zn). For comparison, new bulk deposition data for open "eld and canopy throughfall stations are presented from the same area (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Cl, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Fe, Ga, Ge, I, In, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, NO  , Na, Ni, Pb, PO  , Rb, SO  , Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, Y, Zn, Zr). The most prominent result is that emission control in Central Europe is taking e!ect. The concentrations of many anthropogenic constituents in both bulk deposition and in aerosols today have declined considerably. In the formerly highly polluted Eastern Erzgebirge, deposition can now be addressed as comparable to rural areas without major local or regional in#uences.  2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Aerosol; Dry deposition; Bulk deposition; Atmospheric deposition trends; Trace elements; Multi-element study; PIXE; INAA; GF-AAS; Germany; Erzgebirge; Black triangle 1. Introduction With more sensitive methods to quantify trace ele- ments in atmospheric aerosols and deposition, much attention has been given to element sources and path- ways } a major prerequisite for the assessment of global cycles and the human in#uence on these cycles (e.g., Lantzy and Mackenzie, 1979; van Dop, 1986; Borbe H ly- Kiss et al., 1991; Fan et al., 1995; Molna H r et al., 1995; Heinrichs and Brumsack, 1997; Reimann et al., 1997a; Maenhaut and Cafmeyer, 1998). Related research was boosted with the observation of water and soil acidi"ca- tion, and forest decline in the 1970s and 1980s. Here, reliable input data were necessary to develop an under- standing of ecosystem-internal element #uxes. Most of the available data sets are either based on short-term measurements or restricted to rather few elements or compounds. Only longer-term studies allow the inves- tigation of deposition trends which in turn are highly important to assess the positive or unwanted e!ects of changes in technology, land-use, or even climate-related alterations. And only multi-element data sets o!er the opportunity for a quanti"cation of urgently needed ele- ment balances, a necessity for both applied research and policy-related expertise. Over the past years, atmospheric emissions in Central Europe decreased considerably (e.g., UBA, 1998). The most prominent examples are the declines of sulphur from point sources and of lead (Pb) from leaded fuels. While sulphur emissions declined simultaneously in Western and Central Europe and parts of North America 1352-2310/00/$ - see front matter  2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 2 3 1 0 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 5 1 6 - 6