Design factors such as proximity to a source of pollution, degree of wind exposure and an object's size affect the rate of pollution deposition to an object. In certain regimes of atmospheric corrosion, the corrosion rate is limited not by electrochemical reactions but by the rate of mass transfer of pollutants. In these cases, a mass transfer model that accounts for the transport of pollutants, such as a marine salt aerosol, provides a theoretical and predictive framework for assessing corrosivity severity. A limited, but fairly realistic, model was developed that accounts for a steady source of marine aerosol particles and their transport near the ground, well within the planetary boundary layer. The predicted aerosol concentration as a function of distance for 1500 m from a steady source was consistent with published data on steel corrosion and salinity rates near an ocean. Implications for Ž . outdoor design are: i smaller objects can be expected to corrode faster because of a greater capture efficiency of salt aerosols; Ž .
Ž . ii objects exposed to faster wind speeds and aerosols will corrode faster; and iii objects in the lee of prevailing winds from an aerosol source will corrode faster than objects upwind of an aerosol source.