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Trends in surface water chemistry in acidified areas in Europe and North America from 1990 to 2008

Garmo, Øyvind A.; Skjelkvåle, Brit Lisa; de Wit, Heleen A.; Colombo, Luca; Curtis, Chris; Fölster, Jens; Hoffmann, Andreas; Hruška, Jakub; Høgåsen, Tore; Jeffries, Dean S.; Keller, W. Bill; Krám, Pavel; Majer, Vladimir; Monteith, Don T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3219-1772; Paterson, Andrew M.; Rogora, Michela; Rzychon, Dorota; Steingruber, Sandra; Stoddard, John L.; Vuorenmaa, Jussi; Worsztynowicz, Adam. 2014 Trends in surface water chemistry in acidified areas in Europe and North America from 1990 to 2008. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 225 (3), 1880. 14, pp. 10.1007/s11270-014-1880-6

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Abstract/Summary

Acidification of lakes and rivers is still an environmental concern despite reduced emissions of acidifying compounds. We analysed trends in surface water chemistry of 173 acid-sensitive sites from 12 regions in Europe and North America. In 11 of 12 regions, non-marine sulphate (SO4*) declined significantly between 1990 and 2008 (−15 to −59 %). In contrast, regional and temporal trends in nitrate were smaller and less uniform. In 11 of 12 regions, chemical recovery was demonstrated in the form of positive trends in pH and/or alkalinity and/or acid neutralising capacity (ANC). The positive trends in these indicators of chemical recovery were regionally and temporally less distinct than the decline in SO4* and tended to flatten after 1999. From an ecological perspective, the chemical quality of surface waters in acid-sensitive areas in these regions has clearly improved as a consequence of emission abatement strategies, paving the way for some biological recovery.

Item Type: Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1007/s11270-014-1880-6
Programmes: CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 1 - Monitoring and Interpretation of Biogeochemical and Climate Changes > BGC - 1.1 - Monitor concentrations, fluxes, physico-chemical forms of current and emerging pollutants ...
CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 1 - Monitoring and Interpretation of Biogeochemical and Climate Changes > BGC - 1.3 - Quantify & attribute changes in biogeochemiical cycles ...
CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 1 - Monitoring and Interpretation of Biogeochemical and Climate Changes
CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water > WA Topic 1 - Variability and Change in Water Systems > WA - 1.1 - Continued long term monitoring and integrated observation of freshwater systems
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas: Parr
ISSN: 0049-6979
Additional Keywords: acid deposition, surface waters, trend analysis, monitoring network, chemical recovery
NORA Subject Terms: Earth Sciences
Ecology and Environment
Date made live: 17 Feb 2014 14:31 +0 (UTC)
URI: https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/504884

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