Causes of acidification of four streams on Laurel Hill in southwestern Pennsylvania
A study of the chemistry of atmospheric deposition, soil leachate and stream water and fish populations was conducted during 1980-1981, emphasizing dormant season periods with runoff from snowmelt and rain. Although bedrock geology altered the natural buffering capacity of these streams, only acid precipitation could be linked to sharp drops in pH and increases in total aluminum concentrations observed during stormflows in the poorly-buffered streams. Three poorly-buffered streams exhibited drops to pH 4.4-4.5 and increases in total aluminum concentrations up to 1.5 mg/l during observed peak flows. Mineral soil leachate from the three major soil series on the basins exhibited a low pH of 4.3 and average total aluminum concentrations of 3.6 mg/l, indicating stream response during storms was closely linked to chemistry of soil leachate. Poorly-buffered streams did not support reproducing populations of trout or other fishes. In contrast, one well-buffered stream (equivalent 20 mg/l CaCO/sub 3/) only exhibited drops to pH 5.5 during peak flow and supported reproducing trout and sculpin populations. The loss of fish populations in poorly-buffered streams was attributed to acidification of forest soils by precipitation. 19 references, 14 figures, 12 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). School of Forest Resources
- OSTI ID:
- 5945100
- Report Number(s):
- PB-83-173278
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACID RAIN
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
LEACHATES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
STREAMS
ACIDIFICATION
AIR POLLUTION
ALUMINIUM
CORRELATIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FISHES
INHIBITION
MELTING
PENNSYLVANIA
PH VALUE
POLLUTION SOURCES
POPULATIONS
REPRODUCTION
RUNOFF
SNOW
SOILS
VARIATIONS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION III
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MIXTURES
NORTH AMERICA
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POLLUTION
RAIN
SOLUTIONS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VERTEBRATES
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
560305 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)