Impact Of Acid Rain Research Articles

Chemical composition of atmospheric wet depositions from the Yellow Sea and East China Sea

Acid rain can be a serious environmental problem, both for mainland and coastal regions. There are limited studies concerned with the impact of acid rain on coastal waters, with just a single study of this topic in the Yellow Sea and another for the East China Sea. In the present study, we established sampling sites upon Qianliyan Island within the Yellow Sea and upon the Shengsi Archipelago in the East China Sea. During the sampling campaigns, 151 rainwater samples were collected and analyzed for major soluble species at the two sites. The results show that Cl − and Na + are the major components within the samples, accounting for 55–60% of the total concentrations, with lesser components each comprising 1–11% of total concentrations. Considering pH∼ 5 as the threshold for recognizing acid rain, the two stations were both affected by frequent acid rains, with a frequency of 65% at Shengsi and 40% at Qianliyan. A statistic analysis of the data shows that chemical species with the same or similar sources (e.g., Cl − and Na +) are strongly correlated in terms of rainwater chemistry.

2-Year Study of Chemical Composition of Bulk Deposition in a South China Coastal City: Comparison with East Asian Cities

Using the emission strengths of the precursor gases, the nature of soil in China, the ventilation power and half value rainout region length, the nss-SO42-, NO3-, Ca2+, and NH4+ concentrations, and pH of rainwater at Hong Kong and other cities of China and Japan are compared and rationalized. The chemical composition of Hong Kong bulk deposition from 1998 to 2000 is taken from our collection and analysis of 156 daily samples. The volume-weighted average (VWA) pH is 4.2 over the whole study period. Nonsea salt- (nss-) sulfate is the most abundant species in the samples, and the pH mostly depended upon the concentrations of the major species nss-SO42, NO3-, Ca2+, and NH4+. All species concentrations show higher levels in the cold season (especially NO3- and Ca2+), which indicates the dominant dilution effects in the warm season due to heavy rainfall and the influence of the continental outflow of pollutants during the cold season. For Hong Kong bulk deposition, the VWA pH is slightly lower in the cold season, and there is a slight decrease in VWA pH over the period from 1994 to 2000. The impact of acid rain in Hong Kong is briefly discussed.

Long‐term suppression of wetland methane flux following a pulse of simulated acid rain

Wetlands are a potent source of the radiatively important gas methane (CH4). Recent findings have demonstrated that sulfate (SO42−) deposition via acid rain suppresses CH4 emissions by stimulating competitive exclusion of methanogens by sulfate‐reducing microbial populations. Here we report data from a field experiment showing that a finite pulse of simulated acid rain SO42− deposition, as would be expected from a large Icelandic volcanic eruption, continues to suppress CH4 emissions from wetlands long after the pollution event has ceased. Our analysis of the stoichiometries suggests that 5 years is a minimum CH4 emission recovery period, with 10 years being a reasonable upper limit. Our findings highlight the long‐term impact of acid rain on biospheric output of CH4 which, for discrete polluting events such as volcanic eruptions, outlives the relatively short‐term SO42− aerosol radiative cooling effect.

Analysis of Natural Buffer Systems and the Impact of Acid Rain. An Environmental Project for First-Year Chemistry Students

The purpose of this project is to investigate the basic principles involved in acid–base buffer systems within the context of an environmental issue. It is designed for use in an introductory chemistry course. The students will learn about acid–base interactions and examine how a buffer system composed of a weak acid and its conjugate base can neutralize large quantities of strong acid while resisting drastic change in the pH of the system. Students will also analyze experimentally the various components of the most commonly occurring natural buffer system. The results of these experiments can be discussed with regard to the impact that acid rain has on water bodies of different buffer capacities and the variables that control the buffer capacity of individual bodies of water.

Groundwater Acidification and the Mobilization of Trace Metals in a Sandy Aquifer

The acidification of groundwater due to acid rain impact and the mobilization of the trace metals Ni, Be, Cd and Co was studied in a noncalcareous sandy aquifer. The groundwater is acidified down to pH 4.4 in the upper 3-4 m of the saturated zone. There is a sharp acidification front and below that the pH increases to 5.2-6.5. The acid zone groundwater contains an Al concentration of approximately 0.2 mM. These observations could be explained by a reactive transport model for downward groundwater movement based on ion exchange and equilibrium with Al(OH)3. At the acidification front, the Al3+ in groundwater exchanges for sorbed Ca2+ and Mg2+ and the coupled dissolution of Al(OH)3 causes the pH to increase. The downward migration rate of the acidification front is 3.5-5.0 cm/yr. Trace metals (Ni, Be, Cd and Co) are found to accumulate near the acidification front. Downward moving, low pH, and trace metal containing groundwater passes the acidification front, and the trace metals adsorb as the pH increases. The acidification front moves downward at a slower rate, and in this process the heavy metals are desorbed. Accordingly, the acidification front functions as a geochemical trap where trace metals accumulate, and their amount will increase with time. Different surface complexation models were explored to explain the behavior of Ni. Neither a simple iron oxide surface complexation model nor ion exchange could explain the field observations of the Ni distribution. The sediment appeared, even at low pH, to have a much stronger affinity toward Ni than predicted by the iron oxide model. The discrepancy can be accounted for in the model by increasing the Ni binding strength constant in combination with an increased number of reactive sites.

Historic calcite record from the Finger Lakes, New York: Impact of acid rain on a buffered terrane

Most previous studies on the effects of acid rain have been conducted in areas with low acid-neutralizing, or buffering, capacity. In contrast, significantly less study has occurred in calcareous terrane that has high-buffering-capacity and that has traditionally been thought to be “insensitive” to the effects of acid rain. To address this fundamental inequity we have conducted a comprehensive study of near-surface (<1 m), historic age (<200 yr) sediments in the Finger Lakes of central New York State, a high buffering capacity area that has received significant quantities of acid rain. In particular, we have focused on authigenic calcite contained in historic bottom sediment as well as water-column geochemistry between 1972 and 1999. Results indicate that the open-water precipitation of calcite (“whitings”) returned to 7 of the 11 Finger Lakes during historic time following an ∼4500 14C yr hiatus. Only those lakes with calcite in the near-surface sediment have calcareous soils and/or limestone outcrops in their drainage basins and summer surface waters that are supersaturated with respect to calcite. Water-column data indicate that the saturation state of summer surface waters has increased in at least seven Finger Lakes between 1972 and 1999 and that calcium loading to lakes lacking calcite has also increased over the same time interval. We hypothesize that acid rain has increased carbonate weathering in the Finger Lakes region, leading to an increase in supersaturation of summer surface waters with respect to calcite. The precipitation of calcite in summer is triggered by evaporation, temperature increase, and/or photosynthetic removal of carbon dioxide. This new “chemical weathering” hypothesis contrasts with, but is not mutually exclusive of, the traditional “cultural-eutrophication” model that suggests that increased nutrient loading, biological productivity, and CO2 removal are the primary causal mechanisms for historic calcite precipitation. Stable carbon isotope and water-column geochemical data from the Finger Lakes indicate decreasing levels of primary production since at least the 1960s, and there are statistically significant correlations between CO2, SO2, and NOx emissions and calcite content of bottom sediments. Historic calcite precipitation in the Finger Lakes began as early as the 1820s, suggesting that naturally acidic rain falling on freshly deforested and tilled landscapes increased chemical weathering and brought these lakes to supersaturation. There was also a rapid increase in calcite precipitation beginning in ca. 1940 (coincident with increased industrialization and acidic rainfall associated with World War II) that continued into the 1990s. During the mid- to late 1990s, calcite precipitation decreased in the Finger Lakes following the introduction of zebra mussels. Unlike regions with low acid-neutralizing-capacity where acid rain results in the “acidification” of lakes, acidic deposition across well-buffered terrane may result in the “alkalization” of lakes.

The Impact of Acid Rain on Potassium and Sodium Status in Typical Soils of the Wielkopolski National Park (Poland)

A previous investigation of thechemical characteristics of precipitation in theWielkopolski National Park has shown its high acidity,which sometimes drops below pH 3.0. This paper dealswith the leaching of potassium and sodium ions by acidrain from typical soils of the study area. Laboratoryexperiments were conducted on undisturbed soil cores(15 cm in diameter, 50 cm high) with acid solutions of pH 3.0, pH 2.0 and with water of pH 5.6 (control). The sprinkling lasted 30 days simulating a rainfall of 400 mm. The eluates were analysed daily. Soil propertiesand forms of potassium and sodium were determinedbefore and after treatment. The investigations showthat quite significant amounts of K+ andNa+ can be leached from the soil: in the very acidtreatment (pH 2.0) about 4 mg K+ and 3 mgNa+ per kg of soil. The leaching of these elementswas smaller in the pH 3.0 and 5.6 treatments.Differences in the dynamics of the process are shownin the leaching curves. In the case of potassium theirshapes are smooth when pH is 5.6 and 3.0, while at pH2.0 the curves rise sharply. The leaching curves inthe case of sodium do not show sharp peaks, whichmeans that the leaching is slow and equalised.

The Impact of Simulated Acid Rain and Fertilizer Application on a Mature Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum Marsh.) Forstt in Central Ontario Canada

The effects of two year's addition of simulated acid precipitation, with and without added fertilizer, on mycorrhizae, litter decomposition and soil and tree chemistry in a sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) dominated forest were investigated. The forest floor beneath mature sugar maple trees was irrigated at monthly intervals between May and September with local lake water acidified to pH 3, pH 4 or untreated lakewater of pH 4.9. In addition, a commercial organic slow-release fertilizer (Maple Gro) was added to the soil prior to irrigation with pH 3 spray. Trees to which no experimental spray was applied were also included as controls. Eight trees were used for each of the five treatments. Application of the acid spray alone did not acidify surface soil nor cause visible symptoms of decline in trees. The pH of the soil solution and soil leachate was increased by addition of acidified lakewater. An increase in the concentration of sulphate (SO42-), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) in soil leachate was only recorded in plots irrigated with water acidified to pH 3 + Maple Gro. The initial rate of litter decomposition tended to be higher following application of the acid sprays, although mycorrhizal infection of sugar maple roots was reduced in the pH 3 and pH 4 treatments. Concentrations of zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) were highest in wood formed during the period irrigated with water acidified to pH 3. Foliar nitrogen (N) concentrations tended to be higher in all irrigated treatments, although there were no differences between treatment in any of the other nutrients measured in foliage after two years of treatment. It is concluded that the application of simulated acid rain under field conditions results in a complex interaction of events which are not reproduced in pot trials and must be fully understood before the impact of acid rain on sugar maple forests can be evaluated.

The impact of acid rain on calcium and magnesium status in typical soils of the Wielkopolski National Park

The previous investigation of the chemical characteristics of precipitation within the Wielkopolski National Park has shown its high acidity which sometimes drops below pH 3.0. This paper deals with calcium and magnesium ion leaching by acid rain from typical soils of the area. Laboratory experiments were conducted on soil monoliths (15 cm in diameter, 50 cm high) with acid solutions of pH 3.0, pH 2.0 and a water control of pH 5.6. The sprinkling lasted 30 days, simulating a rainfall of 400 mm. The eluates were analysed every day. The soil properties and forms of calcium and magnesium were determined before and after treatment. The investigations show that quite large amounts of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ can be leached from soil — in the very acid treatment (pH 2.0) leaching amounted to about 100 mg Ca 2+ and 17 mg Mg 2+ per kg of soil. The leaching of these elements was several times less in the pH 3.0 and 5.6 treatments. The differences in the dynamics of the process is shown on the leaching curves — their shapes are smooth when pH is 5.6 and 3.0, while a sharp peak is present at pH 2.0.

97/03264 The distribution and impact of acid rain, and its countermeasures in China

97/03264 The distribution and impact of acid rain, and its countermeasures in China

Growth response of young slash pine trees to simulated acid rain and ozone stress

To assess the impact of acid rain and ozone stress on the growth and physiology of slash pine (Pinuselliottii Engelm. var. elliottii), four half-sib families of slash pine were planted in large open-top chambers and exposed 28 months to factorial combinations of three rain acidities (pH 3.3, 4.3, and 5.3) and four concentrations of ozone (subambient produced with carbon filtration, ambient, two times ambient, and three times ambient). Growth was assessed by seasonal stem diameter and height increments and by stem volume increment at steady-state conditions. Information on tree physiology was obtained indirectly from estimates of mean unit leaf rate, a measure of the net assimilation capacity of the tree. Among the growth variables, only volume increment showed a consistent year to year response to acid rain and ozone. The acid rain × ozone interaction was significant for volume increment each year and was the result of trees in the two times ambient ozone level having greater sensitivity to rain acidity. Both acid rain and ozone significantly affected mean unit leaf rate; however, this effect weakened with time, suggesting some degree of physiological acclimation. Increasing rain acidity significantly increased mean leaf area only during the first growth period. Ozone significantly decreased mean leaf area all three growth periods, with the effect intensifying each year. Complex family interactions with acid rain and ozone masked any clear family sensitivities to these pollutants.

A multiagent multiattribute approach for conflict resolution in acid rain impact mitigation

A methodology for using multiattribute utility functions within a Nash bargaining model and an application of the model to the problem of conflict resolution in acid rain impact mitigation are given. Multiattribute utility theory provides decision makers with a framework for integrating the complex and multiple impacts of acid rain and for making policy decisions. The author examines the economic, environmental, socioeconomic, and health impact of acid rain in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He demonstrates that, even without specifying exact preference weights for the attributes, dominance relationships can be established between policies, and a Nash bargaining solution can be established among the affected parties.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The impact of a single black snowfall on streamwater chemistry in the Scottish Highlands

During snowmelt, ions fractionate into the first meltwaters1–3, giving rise to concentrated, often acidic, solutions4,5. This may cause transient acidification of streamwaters (the so-called 'acid flush') in poorly buffered upland catchments6, which can kill fish7 or, more commonly, cause recruitment failure8. The chemistry of snow and meltwater can affect the magnitude and duration of the 'acid flush', particularly when stream discharge is not dominated by pre-event water. Such conditions are found in upland Britain, in the Scottish Highlands9,10 The most acidic snowfalls in the Highlands are coloured or black11, and occur under specific meteorological conditions12. Here we present the streamwater chemistry during two acid-flush events with minimum recorded pH of 4.25 and 4.10. An acidic black snow (pH 3.4) fell in the 8-day period between the events. The meltwater composition during the first event was influenced by the composition of the existing snow-cover, whereas the second event shows the effect of the fall of polluted snow. These observations demonstrate that a single snowfall can strongly influence the composition of meltwaters. Hence, the large-scale distribution of ions in snowpacks must be considered in attempting to predict the magnitude of acidification during the thaw13 and the possible impact of acid rain on aquatic ecosystems. This work highlights how chance associations of episodic events (coloured snowfall and snowmelt) may amplify acidification in streamwater.

Natural processes in freshwater acidification

While the possible impact of acid rain on the acidity of freshwaters has received considerable attention over recent years, much less has been written about natural acidification processes. This review discusses the evolution of acid soils in regions susceptible to natural acidification of streams and lakes, and the factors which regulate water acidity other than atmospheric pollution.

Impact of Acid Rain and Deposition on Aquatic Biological Systems, eds. Billy G. Isom, Sally D. Dennis, and John M. Bates [Review

Impact of Acid Rain and Deposition on Aquatic Biological Systems, eds. Billy G. Isom, Sally D. Dennis, and John M. Bates [Review

Economic Impacts of Acid Rain on Forest, Aquatic, and Agricultural Ecosystems in Canada

American Journal of Agricultural EconomicsVolume 69, Issue 5 p. 963-969 Invited Papers Session Economic Impacts of Acid Rain on Forest, Aquatic, and Agricultural Ecosystems in Canada Truman P. Phillips, Truman P. Phillips professor Department of Agricultural Economics and Business, University of GuelphSearch for more papers by this authorBruce A. Forster, Bruce A. Forster professor Department of Economics, University of Wyoming and University of GuelphSearch for more papers by this author Truman P. Phillips, Truman P. Phillips professor Department of Agricultural Economics and Business, University of GuelphSearch for more papers by this authorBruce A. Forster, Bruce A. Forster professor Department of Economics, University of Wyoming and University of GuelphSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 December 1987 https://doi.org/10.2307/1242241Citations: 6AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume69, Issue5December 1987Pages 963-969 RelatedInformation

Impact of simulated acid rain on yield of a field-grown oat crop

A study was conducted in 1985 to determine the impact of acid rain on the productivity of Avena sativa L. cv. Ogle. Oat plants were grown under standard field practices and received 0.32 cm simulated rain treatments at pH 3.0, 3.6, 4.2 or 4.8 three times a week for 10.5 weeks. In a “no rain” treatment, plants received an equivalent volume of water at the soil surface. Each treatment was replicated eight times. Plants were harvested and allowed to dry when oat kernels reached the soft dough stage. There were no significant effects of acidity of rain on vegetative yield/ha, number of tillers/ha, seeds/ha, seed weight/ha, number of seed/head, bushels/ha or harvest index.

A summary of the impact of acid rain on atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Canada

Within the present North American range of Atlantic salmon, severe acid rain effects are limited to the Southern Upland area of Nova Scotia. In the Southern Upland, long range transport of H2SO4 has caused many rivers to decline in pH to the point where their Atlantic salmon stocks have been destroyed or much diminished. Chemical records show a declining pH trend in N.S. rivers since the early 1950s. Eighty % of the annual variation in H+ concentration can be accounted for by a multiple linear regression model on excess sulphate, total Al and organic anions. It is technically feasible to restore the acidified salmon habitat by the addition of limestone; the total cost of mounting a liming program to restore the lost habitat has been estimated at $4.75 × 106 yr−1. The pre-acidification Atlantic salmon production capacity of the Southern Upland was estimated from physical habitat surveys and tag return data to be about 45 000 fish yr−1. Acidification has caused a 50% decline to the current production level of about 23 000 fish yr−1. The costs of the liming program, when compared to the economic benefits of the anticipated salmon enhancement, are economically unjustifiable. The eradication of salmon from such large regions will hinder future programs to reestablish the species in their former range when pollution of the atmosphere is eventually brought under control. Present plans are for a small liming program to establish a series of refuges for the preservation of nuclei of native salmon stocks.

Interspecific differences in dead plant buffering capacity alter the impact of acid rain on decomposition rates in tidal marshes

Simulated acid rain did not alter respiration rates of microbial associations on dead Spartina alterniora from Delaware salt marshes or on dead Carex lyngbyei from Oregon brackish marshes. Since these dead plant-microbe associations have a strong buffering capacity for acid rain, the microbial associations did not experience a low pH. In contrast, Phragmites australis has a low buffering capacity and microbial respiration was reduced at least 25 % by acid rain. When dead plant-microbe associations from freshwater marshes and various terrestrial plant populations were immersed in simulated acid rain, the rain water equilibrated at pH's from 3.9 to 5.0 and were characteristic of the various species. The different buffering capacities of such dead plant-microbe associations may explain the inconsistent results published from decomposition studies and may serve as a quick and easy method of assessing the probable impact of acidic deposition on decomposition processes.

Dietary exposure to cadmium and health effects: impact of environmental changes.

Cadmium exposure, metabolism, and effects are described especially in relation to dietary intakes. Data on dietary intakes in several countries have been complied from studies using the duplicate diet method or fecal analysis. These two methods seem to give more accurate data than estimates based on cadmium concentrations in food classes and food consumption (composite method). The present data on absorption and retention of ingested cadmium indicate that normally less than 5% is ingested, but absorption may increase in women who have iron deficiency. Earlier estimates of the critical concentration in renal cortex being about 200 mg/kg wet weight still seem to be valid. New information is available on present renal levels and their distribution in the general population. The present margin of safety with regard to risk for renal effects is small. To predict future health risks from increases in dietary cadmium due to environmental changes such as acid deposition, it is necessary that the models used are based on correct assumptions. Of interest are the distributions of dietary intake, gastrointestinal absorption, and renal cadmium concentrations. These distributions are normal or lognormal, and since standard deviations are used when estimating risks, it is of paramount importance that the standard deviations are estimated as accurately as possible. At present it is not possible to quantify the effects attributed to acid rain only; account must be also be taken of cadmium added to, e.g., soil by use of sewage sludge and other fertilizers. In addition to risks to human health, cadmium also poses a threat to horses, which generally have renal cadmium concentrations several times higher than adult humans. It is recommended that horses should be monitored in areas when acid deposition is high. Such monitoring might provide valuable information about impact of acid rain.