Regional survey of the chemistry of headwater lakes and streams in New England: vulnerability to acidification

Technical Report · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:7018357

Haines, T A; Akielaszek, J; Rago, P

Undisturbed New England headwater lakes and streams were surveyed. The sites were stratified by geography, bedrock and soil cation exchange capacity. Approximately 8% of the waters surveyed were pH < 5 and 29% were pH < 6. Waters low in alkalinity were commoner than low pH waters and tended to occur near acid waters. Alkalinity concentrations of 20 ..mu..egl/sup -1/, 100 ..mu..egl/sup -1/ and 200 ..mu..egl/sup -1/ occurred in 24%, 41% and 53%, respectively. Acid lakes studied were not the result of natural organic acids. The waters surveyed contained greater SO/sub 4/ concentrations (80 to 120 ..mu..egl/sup -1/) than could be attributed to marine aerosols. Sulfate concentrations were not correlated with pH while Al and Mn were. Sensitive waters, identified by alkalinity, were nine times more likely to be found in areas where bedrock is low in buffering capacity and 3 times more likely to be found in areas where soils were low in cation exchange capacity. Of the lakes with usable data 64% were lower in pH and 70% were lower in alkalinity. The relationship between pH and calcium content was used to indicate acidification. Results suggest that 57% of the lakes were acidified. The model predicted an average loss of 50 ..mu..egl/sup -1/ while historical data indicate a decline of 100 ..mu..egl/sup -1/. The Kramer model gave good agreement with the data, 75% of the samples were within 0.5 pH unit of the predicted pH based on carbonic acid weathering along. The remaining 25% of the samples were more than 0.5 pH unit lower than predicted and are presumed to be acidified. The Thompson model also gave good agreement with the data and a similar prediction of acidification. The Kramer and Thompson models yield similar predictions of acidification that are about half that of the Henriksen model. 73 references, 44 figures, 26 tables.

• Research Organization: Fish and Wildlife Service, Kearneysville, WV (USA). Eastern Energy and Land Use Team
• OSTI ID: 7018357
• Report Number(s): FWS/OBS-80/40.15; ON: DE84901179
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring &amp; Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID NEUTRALIZING CAPACITY
ACIDIFICATION
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALUMINIUM
CALCITE
CALCIUM
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATE MINERALS
CARBONATES
CHEMISTRY
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DATA
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION I
GEOCHEMISTRY
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LAKES
MAGNESIUM
MANGANESE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POTASSIUM
SOILS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
WATER CHEMISTRY