Causes of acidification of four streams on Laurel Hill in southwestern Pennsylvania

Technical Report · Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5945100

Dewalle, D R; Sharpe, W E; Dinicola, R S; Leibfried, R T; Kimmel, W G

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

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
AIR POLLUTION
ALUMINIUM
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CORRELATIONS
DISPERSIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION III
FISHES
INHIBITION
LEACHATES
MASS TRANSFER
MELTING
METALS
MIXTURES
NORTH AMERICA
PENNSYLVANIA
PH VALUE
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
POPULATIONS
RAIN
REPRODUCTION
RUNOFF
SNOW
SOILS
SOLUTIONS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VARIATIONS
VERTEBRATES