Journal Article10.1126/SCIENCE.184.4142.1176
Acid Rain: A Serious Regional Environmental Problem
TL;DR: Only some of the ecological and economic effects of this widespread introduction of strong acids into natural systems are known at present, but clearly they must be considered in proposals for new energy sources and in the development of air quality emission standards.
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Abstract: At present, acid rain or snow is falling on most of the northeastern United States. The annual acidity value averages about pH 4, but values between pH 2.1 and 5 have been recorded for individual storms. The acidity of precipitation in this region apparently increased about 20 years ago, and the increase may have been associated with the augmented use of natural gas and with the installation of particle-removal devices in tall smokestacks. Only some of the ecological and economic effects of this widespread introduction of strong acids into natural systems are known at present, but clearly they must be considered in proposals for new energy sources and in the development of air quality emission standards.
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Citations
Effects of acid rain on bird populations
TL;DR: Effects of anthropogenic acidification of soils and waters on bird populations are reviewed and it is shown that acidification in forests in less-advanced stages of dieback can both lead to an increase and a decrease in insect and seed abundance in forests.
48
Seasonal patterns in acidity of precipitation and their implications for forest stream ecosystems
James W. Hornbeck,James W. Hornbeck,Gene E. Likens,Gene E. Likens,John S. Eaton,John S. Eaton +5 more
TL;DR: In this article, data collected at a network of nine stations in the northeastern United States show that precipitation is most acid in the growing season (May-September) and least acid in winter (December-February).
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Copper smelter effluent effects on sonoran desert vegetation
Charles W. Wood,Thomas N. Nash +1 more
TL;DR: The vegetation of an Arizonan upland community near a recently inactivated copper smelter at Superior, Arizona was studied in this article, showing that annuals, herbaceous perennials, grasses, cacti, and some shrubs were almost entirely absent.
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Changes in Rainwater pH associated with Increasing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide after the Industrial Revolution
Robert A. J. Bogan,Robert A. J. Bogan,Shigeru Ohde,Takeshi Arakaki,Ikuko Mori,Cameron W. McLeod +5 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the historical change in the pH of natural rainwater due to increased atmospheric CO2 from 1800 until 2007, giving predicted change in 2100, was examined, and equilibrium calculations were made in an attempt to elucidate the calcium carbonate (calcite) dissolution by rainwater.
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Pond Acidity and its Relationship to Larval Development of Ambystoma maculatum and Rana sylvatica in Upper Michigan
TL;DR: ABSTRAcr.-Ambystoma maculatum and Rana sylvatica larvae from three ponds in Marquette County, Michigan were raised in the laboratory at pH's 3, 4, 5 and the pond pH, producing a possible synergistic mortality effect from desiccation and low pH.
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References
Acidification of the La Cloche Mountain Lakes, Ontario, and Resulting Fish Mortalities
TL;DR: The loss of populations of lake trout, herring, white suckers, and other fishes in Lumsden Lake was attributed to increasing levels of acidity within the lake, and an absence of fishes was also observed in nearby lakes.
381
The concentration of chloride, sodium, potassium, calcium, and sulfate in rain water over the united states
C. Junge,R. T. Werby +1 more
TL;DR: The distribution of yearly averages of the concentration of various inorganic ions in rain water over the United States is discussed in this article, where the major source of Cl−is the ocean.
347
Loss of fish populations from unexploited remote lakes in Ontario, Canada as a consequence of atmospheric fallout of acid
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that the emissions from the nickel smelters near Sudbury were the most probable source of contamination that has resulted in the loss of fish stocks from O.S.A., Muriel, and other lakes.
117
The effects of an artificial acid mist upon the growth of Betula alleghaniensis britt
Tim Wood,F. H. Bormann +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects that precipitation pH may have upon the growth and development of plants, yellow birch ( Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) seedlings were exposed, for up to 15 weeks, to artificial acid mists ranging in pH from 4·7 to 2·3.
116
Atmospheric Contributions to Water Quality of Streams in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire
TL;DR: In this article, the balances of input in atmospheric precipitation and discharge in streams have been determined for selected mineral constituents in three small tributaries to Hubbard Brook in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
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