acidprecipitationandremediationofacidlakes.docVIP

Acid Precipitation and Remediation of Acid Lakes Introduction Acid precipitation has been a serious environmental problem in many areas of the world for the last few decades. Acid precipitation results from the combustion of fossil fuels, that produces oxides of sulfur and nitrogen that react in the earths atmosphere to form sulfuric and nitric acid. One of the most significant impacts of acid rain is the acidification of lakes and streams. In some watersheds the soil doesn’t provides ample acid neutralizing capacity to mitigate the effect of incident acid precipitation. These susceptible regions are usually high elevation lakes, with small watersheds and shallow noncalcareous soils. The underlying bedrock of acidsensitive lakes tends to be granite or quartz. These minerals are slow to weather and therefore have little capacity to neutralize acids. The relatively short contact time between the acid precipitation and the watershed soil system exacerbates the problem. Lakes most susceptible to acidification: 1) are located downwind, sometimes hundreds of miles downwind, from major pollution sources–electricity generation, metal refining operations, heavy industry, large population centers; 2) are surrounded by hard, insoluble bedrock with thin, sandy, infertile soil; 3) have a high runoff to infiltration ratio; 4) have a low watershed to lake surface area. Isopleths of precipitation pH are depicted in Figure . Figure . The pH of precipitation in 2000. In acidsensitive lakes the major parameter of concern is pH (pH = log{H+}, where {H+} is the hydrogen ion activity, and activity is approximately equal to concentration in moles/L). In a healthy lake, ecosystem pH should be in the range of 6.5 to 8.5. In most natural freshwater systems, the dominant pH buffering (controlling) system is the carbonate system. The carbonate buffering system is composed of four components: dissolved carbon dioxide (), carbonic acid (), bicarbonate (), and carbonate (). Carbonic acid