Acid rain: the data and monitoring needs

Abstract

The need for environmental monitoring has been recognized in the development of air and water quality management programs for many years. The problems of inadequate monitoring have also been recognized for many years. Yet, the lack of monitoring data is acutely evident in the area of acid rain and has seriously hampered efforts to develop responsible policies. This paper focuses on the types of monitoring data needed to address the question of acid rain, viz. terms of reference for acid rain monitoring, acid rain monitoring programs, recognition of needs and problems in air and water quality monitoring, and concluding comments. Because acid rain involves multiple pollutants with international transboundary effects in air, water, and land, a comprehensive, coordinated, and cooperative system of international monitoring is needed. Coordination must involve not only the international level, but interagency programs in the domestic governments as well. Recent experience with the development of monitoring syst...