Acid snow-melt effects on water quality and fish survival in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State

Technical Report · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:5268014

Schofield, C L

Water quality changes associated with acid snow-melt episodes and effects on fish survival were investigated in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Relatively high NO/sub 3//SO/sub 4/ ratios observed in winter precipitation and snow-melt runoff suggested that nitric acid was a major strong acid component. Snow pack storage of strong acid, concentration by ion separation during thaws, and release in snow melt led to severe changes in quality of lake and stream water. Decreased pH and high aluminum concentration in run-off were lethal to captive brook trout populations. Aluminum was identified as the major toxic entity present in acid, snow melt run-off. Aluminum concentrations of 0.25-1.0 mg/liter at pH 4.4-5.9 resulted in severe gill damage and mortality to brook trout fry. At pH 4.0, aluminum concentrations up to 1.0 mg/l had no toxic effects, but rather were antagonistic to hydrogen ion toxicity. Above pH 4.0, increasing pH enhanced the toxicity of aluminum to brook trout. 17 references, 9 figures, 6 tables.

• Research Organization: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (USA). Dept. of Natural Resources
• OSTI ID: 5268014
• Report Number(s): PB-277801
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560305 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACID RAIN
ACIDIFICATION
ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS
ALUMINIUM
ANIMALS
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DEATH
DOCUMENT TYPES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FISHES
MASS TRANSFER
MEETINGS
METALS
MOUNTAINS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
RAIN
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
RUNOFF
SNOW
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
THAWING
TOXICITY
TROUT
VERTEBRATES
WATER QUALITY