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Title: Acid rain

Abstract

An overview is presented of acid rain and the problems it causes to the environment worldwide. The acidification of lakes and streams is having a dramatic effect on aquatic life. Aluminum, present in virtually all forest soils, leaches out readily under acid conditions and interferes with the gills of all fish, some more seriously than others. There is evidence of major damage to forests in European countries. In the US, the most severe forest damage appears to be in New England, New York's Adirondacks, and the central Appalachians. This small region is part of a larger area of the Northeast and Canada that appears to have more acid rainfall than the rest of the country. It is downwind from major coal burning states, which produce about one quarter of US SO/sub 2/ emissions and one sixth of nitrogen oxide emissions. Uncertainties exist over the causes of forest damage and more research is needed before advocating expensive programs to reduce rain acidity. The President's current budget seeks an expansion of research funds from the current $30 million per year to $120 million.

Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
5100181
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Potlatch Story; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 24:1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ACID RAIN; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ALUMINIUM; LEACHING; FORESTS; PRODUCTIVITY; LAKES; ACIDIFICATION; NITROGEN OXIDES; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; STREAMS; SULFUR DIOXIDE; ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS; APPALACHIA; CANADA; ECONOMICS; EUROPE; FISHES; GILLS; GLOBAL ASPECTS; SOILS; USA; ANIMALS; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CHALCOGENIDES; DISSOLUTION; ELEMENTS; MASS TRANSFER; METALS; MOUNTAINS; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; NORTH AMERICA; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RAIN; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; SULFUR OXIDES; SURFACE WATERS; VERTEBRATES; 500200* - Environment, Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989); 520200 - Environment, Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989); 560303 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987); 560305 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)

Citation Formats

. Acid rain. United States: N. p., 1984. Web.
. Acid rain. United States.
. 1984. "Acid rain". United States.
@article{osti_5100181,
title = {Acid rain},
author = {},
abstractNote = {An overview is presented of acid rain and the problems it causes to the environment worldwide. The acidification of lakes and streams is having a dramatic effect on aquatic life. Aluminum, present in virtually all forest soils, leaches out readily under acid conditions and interferes with the gills of all fish, some more seriously than others. There is evidence of major damage to forests in European countries. In the US, the most severe forest damage appears to be in New England, New York's Adirondacks, and the central Appalachians. This small region is part of a larger area of the Northeast and Canada that appears to have more acid rainfall than the rest of the country. It is downwind from major coal burning states, which produce about one quarter of US SO/sub 2/ emissions and one sixth of nitrogen oxide emissions. Uncertainties exist over the causes of forest damage and more research is needed before advocating expensive programs to reduce rain acidity. The President's current budget seeks an expansion of research funds from the current $30 million per year to $120 million.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5100181}, journal = {Potlatch Story; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 24:1,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984},
month = {Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984}
}