Ionic composition of acid lakes in relation to airborne inputs and watershed characteristics

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6839105

Glass, G E; Sorensen, J A; Liukkonen, B W; Rapp, G R; Loucks, O L

Present acid-forming emissions to the atmosphere have the potential to alter significantly the chemistry of rain, snow, and surface water of weakly buffered lakes in the Upper Midwest. Average precipitation pH from field measurements during 1979-1983 declined from west to east from 4.8, 4.6, and 4.3 along a cross section of sites in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan respectively where 990 lake and stream sampling sites were studied. Measurements of weakly buffered lakes show a parallel decline in lake water pH with the lowest values measured, 5.1, 4.6 and 4.4, respectively in the same regions. Correspondingly, the percentage of lakes sampled with little or no acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) was found to increase from 0 to 4 and 13 percent, respectively. The geographic patterns in ionic composition of airborne acids and bases, and the resultant surface water concentrations are compared. The differences in AFC of airborne inputs from west to east, and differences in in-lake processes explain the observed acidity of weakly buffered lakes across the region.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN (USA). Environmental Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6839105
• Report Number(s): PB-88-224985/XAB; EPA-600/J-86/468
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID NEUTRALIZING CAPACITY
ACID RAIN
ACIDIFICATION
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COLLOIDS
DEPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
FEDERAL REGION V
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
IONS
LAKES
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
NAPAP
NITRIFICATION
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
RAIN
SOLS
STREAMS
SULFURIC ACID
SURFACE WATERS
USA
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER POLLUTION
WATERSHEDS
WISCONSIN