Critical loads of acid deposition for soils: the U.K. approach

Abstract

For more than a decade it has been recognized that rain made acid by pollutants can cause serious acidification of soils and freshwaters. The nature of the interaction, however, has proved far more complex than appeared at first sight. The varying nature of the response of different kinds of soils has led to the concept of critical loads maps, defining the maximum acceptable deposition of acidifying pollutants.