Feb 22, 2005

Acid Rain and Associated Soil Chemistry

Acid Rain and Associated Soil Chemistry

http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/acidrain/ The EPA's site on Acid Rain has information on what acid rain is, how you measure it, what its effects are, and how we reduce it. There are also links to some science experiments and learning activities.

http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/msc/as/as_acid.html This website is maintained by Canada's environmental agency. They have a lot of information on Acid Rain including a link to Environment Canada's Air Pollution web site. They also have links to a couple scientific reports.

http://qlink.queensu.ca/~4lrm4/table.htm This website includes a lot of information on acid rain. This information includes effects on materials, atmosphere, architecture, trees and soils, lakes and streams, and humans. There are lots of links from this site to other acid rain sites.

http://bqs.usgs.gov/acidrain/ This USGS site has on line data and reports for acid rain, atmospheric deposition, and precipitation chemistry. It would be a good place to get technical information on the acid rain problem.

http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/acidrain/ This web address is from the USGS and shows the trends in precipitation chemistry in the United States from 1983-94. The article also lists the data and analysis of the trends of precipitation that followed the passing of the clean air act until 94'. The site is full of data and statistics so the information is in a ruff form but if picked through shows some wonderful data on the chemistry happening in the precipitation over the U.S.

http://water.usgs.gov/nwc/NWC/pH/html/ph.html Another USGS site containing a national map showing pH of precipitation at 190 sites participating in the National Atmospheric Deposition Program. Can select individual states on map to obtain information about the state. Links to NADP main web page with additional maps and publications on acid deposition.

http://qlink.queensu.ca/~4lrm4/ The ABC's of Acid Rain. A very basic website, but makes it easy to understand. Includes definitions and effects on the atmosphere, architecture, humans, lakes and tress. Also includes ways to reduce our NOx and SO2 emissions.

http://www.soton.ac.uk/~engenvir/environment/air/acid.home.html
Acid Rain-a website designed for the Database for Use in Schools Project. It covers questions like: How big a problem is acid rain? What can we do about it? What has the Government done? A good basic overview.

http://ag.udel.edu/soilchem/researchconducte.html Studies performed by the University of Delaware Environmental Soil Chemistry Lab can be downloaded as PDF files from this website. Most of the studies involved advanced spectroscopy on contaminated soils.

http://soils.ag.uidaho.edu/soilorders/12orders.htm This contains several pages of very clear definitions and descriptions of the twelve soil orders. National soil survey maps with color coded dominant suborders and photographs on soil characteristics are also included. This site will help to recognize which soils are most susceptible to leeching due to acidic deposition.

http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/stugeon/swoope.htm This site is run by a Wisconsin school district. It contains a database from seven rain pH studies performed in the last four years by K-12 schools around the world. Background facts on acid rain and frequently asked questions are contained in two links. Another link has ideas for labs and activities to explore acid deposition. Most studies in the database, SWOOP, are the results of daily, month-long acid rain averages reported by schools internationally.

www-personal.umich.edu/~gtdeo/areffects.html This article is good for giving the individual with little knowledge or ability to comprehend acid rain the direct effects it will have to themselves or their community. It talks about specific species of fish and at what acidity they perish and what level of pollution it takes to achieve this. The site also discusses acid rains effects on buildings monuments and people.

www.biopoint.com/msla/acidrain.html This is a great web site that offers up many other web links to the acid rain resources around the web. The site gives a comprehensive breakdown to the main points on acidrain and gives you a summery about that certain aspect of acid rain and then shows you links to reliable sources on that subject.

http://wunmr.wustl.edu/EduDev/Water/acidrain.html This is a very well done paper about an Inorganic Reactions Experiment from a couple of chemistry professors at Washington University. The paper lays out their experiment then explains the findings and what they mean in the production of acid rain. The paper then proceeds with graphs and diagrams of the reactions taking place in the production of acid rain. The paper finishes off with discussing the effects of acid rain on buildings and monuments.

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/habitat/acidrain.htm synopsis of acid rain impacts on forests, fish etc., mainly in the Adirondack and Catskill Mtns. of NY

http://www.adk.org/html/acid_rain.htm Adirondack Mountain Club site, reports on the Clean Air Act, mercury, forest health, fish impacts, pending legislation

http://www.icsu-scope.org International scientific organization with members including most major national science organizations in most major countries. A worldwide network of scientists and organizations develop syntheses and review scientific knowledge on current issues. Publish reports, state of the science reports and evalutions (many available full text online). Have issued recent report on sulphur cycle and climate change.

http://www.igc.org
Institute for Global Communication
The IGC website has a section called EcoNet that is an advocacy site. There is a page on acid rain with lists for conferences, publications and numerous resources. This site has good information on acid rain. It has tons of links to other good environmentally concerned sites with resources on atmosphere & climate, energy resources, and sea and water resources.

http://www.igc.org/acidrain IGC Internet. Want to take a more in depth look at acid rain, check out this website. Read the briefing from an acid rain conference in Norway. Click through different magazine publications from around the world to see how other countries handle the acid rain problem. There are also many information links about the ongoing struggle with acid rain in this country. How is our country monitoring acid rain damage and what are we doing to control it? You can find answers to these questions here.

http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Labs/TermPapersFall99-00/Trujillo/Acid%20Rain.htm This is a site that shows the effects of acid rain on aquatic environments. it gives a brief introduction to how aquatic environments are acidified and identifies the major components of the pollution contributing to acid rain. It gives a very good table that shows as the acidity increased what parts of the ecosystem are affected.

http://www.energysource.com/energyexperts/natural_gas_facts/EnergySourceGasacidrain.html
This site gives the Natural Gas Councils reasons why burning natural gas will help to reduce atmospheric SO2 and therefore reduce acid rain. It also gives some details about the laws around emissions and info on coal burning emissions.

http://bionet.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de/aerodata/lichenes/elabo.htm
This site about suggested lab experiments surrounding acid rain suggests using lichens to indicate atmospheric levels of SO2. I am interested in this because of the ubiquity of lichens in our environment and their ability to shed light on the air quality of a place.

http://www.environment.about.com/cs/acidrain Acid Rain General Information. Again, I love about.com because they come up with great links and information on what you are looking for. On this search I typed in Acid Rain: General Information and got six articles of various interest. Some of the topics include: the effects of acid rain on Maya Ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula; effects of acid rain on terrestrial ecosystems; and acidification of surface waters. To find more links change your search topic.

www.royal.okanagan.bc.ca/mpidwirn/atmosphereandclimate/acidprecip.html Livin g Landscapes. This website focuses mainly on acid rain and deposition in the Thompson-Okanagon. The authors take you through the whole process of acid rain. There is an introduction; acid deposition formation; effects of acid deposition; acid deposition in
Canada and British Columbia; solutions. This research is very informative and well layed out.

http://www.iclei.org/efacts/acidrain.htm: This website is run by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, an international environmental agency (http://www.iclei.org) designed to build a global movement of local governments for the improvement of environmental conditions. The particularly useful portion of the website is an
energy fact sheet dedicated to the discussion of acid rain. The fact sheet contains the following information on acid rain: definition, impacts, chemistry, methods of prevention and conclusions. Furthermore, it contains useful three images: a map of the pH scale, a diagram of the cycles of acidic pollutants, and a map of Canada detailing the ability of soils and bedrock to reduce the acidity of atmospheric deposition.

http://www.emep.int/emis_tables/tab1.html This address is part of the EMEP website, a "Co-operative programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long range transmission of air pollutants in Europe." Emissions tables of certain pollutants are available for the years 1980-1999, showing each European nation's emissions in thousands of tons annually. A prediction for 2010 emissions is also included for each country. The specific pollutants
that are focused on are sulfur, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, non-methane volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, persistent organic pollutants, and heavy metals.

http://www.nysfola.org/acidrain Begins with personal acid lake essay. Has map of US pH levels and other good scientific/chemical descriptions of what is happening.

http://www.nmt.ne.jp/~sanseiu Japanese acid rain site, in Tokushima. Tells what acid rain is but is remarkable for it’s pictures of “melting” architecture and statues. Also shows forest leaf damage.

http://www.msu.edu/~ramseyr1/lbs144/page7.html Goes through causes and effects on lakes and trout. How to reduce acid rain and importance of aluminum with acid rain.

http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/eae/Acid_Rain/older/uk_Acid_Rain.html Relays everything going on in UK as result of acid rain. Shows natural and anthropogenic sources.

http://www.acidrain.org/ Swedish NGO Secretariat on Acid Rain
The Secretariat is a joint venture between five Swedish environmental organizations with the intention of bringing about the reduction of emissions of air pollutants. The sight has suggestions for further reading, publications by the organizations and policy initiatives in Sweden pertaining to Acid Rain.

http://www.lehigh.edu/~kaf3/books/reporting/acid.html Acid Rain Backgrounder (1994); Nice summary – outlines what acid rain is; acidity basics; what causes acid rain; aquatic, plant, and forest ecological effects; toxic metals; and economic impacts. A nice quote: Environmental analyst and writer Sandra Postel of Worldwatch Institute says: "Forest effects do not stop at the forest boundary, but ripple to groundwater, streams and lakes which receive acids and metals that break from the forest cycle. Humanity's intimate connection to these forest systems ensures that it will not escape feeling the effects of their demise" (Postel).

http://ens.lycos.com/ens/mar2001/2001L-03-26-06.html "Acid Rain Continues to Damage Northeast Forests", by Cat Lazaroff (Environment News Service). This article discusses that even though damage from acid rain continues to plague northeast forest ecosystems despite decreases in air pollution. Because the systems have been exposed for so long, they are extremely sensitive to any pollution. The study assessed the effects of acid rain in soil, water, and trees, and used models to predict what decreases in emissions are necessary in order to restore the ecosystems.

http://www1.uwex.edu/ces/pubs/pdf/G3305_8.PDF "Acid Rain: Potential Effects of Acidic Deposition on Forest Soil Biology", by G. Voigt and T. May (University of Wisconsin). Well-written, well-organized, and easy to follow. Discusses nutrient movement throughout a forest ecosystem and how it is altered by acidic deposition. Nice flowchart of nutrient movement and chemical responses to deposition of pollution.

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/9111/DOC.HTML "Causes, Effects, and Solutions of Acid Rain", by Sarn Phamornsuwana. This page discusses many of the sources of acid-rain-causing chemicals and their secondary reactions, as well as the chemistry of their harmful effects. It is well-organized and easy to understand.

http://qlink.queensu.ca/~4lrm4/table.htm This Australian information sight is neatly organized with a comprehensive table of contents and no fancy graphics or images to get in the way. They discuss the impact of acid rain on humans, the atmosphere, architecture and aquatic systems. They also have a links page, a source list page and information on reducing emissions.

http://www.inforamp.net/~mcdermot/drink/dra00008.htm A recipe for Acid Rain, the mixed drink.

http://www.soton.ac.uk/~engenvir/environment/air/acid.what.now.html This site, designed for school children is very helpful and descriptive. It has global information about legislation passed in various countries and full color pie circle graphs and maps showing global distribution and wind patterns. It goes into depth on the green house effect and alternative energy sources.

http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/04/040299/calcium_2472.asp This is a news article about calcium levels declining in the eastern United States. Calcium is used by trees to help ward off stresses of severe weather and of insects. Scientists from USGS and the Department of the Interior believe that acid rain is to blame for the calcium decline. Calcium reacts to neutralize acid rain, but then is no longer useful to the trees. The article claims
that deforestation is increasing this problem because calcium contained in the trees already will not go back into the ground when they die and decompose.

http://interactive.usask.ca/skinteractive/modules/agriculture/soils/soilchem/ Gives a good overview of soil chemistry processes including: Cation exchange, Ph, and Salinity. From this I learned why fertilizers are able to stick to the ground. The Ph of the soil determines what sorts of microorganisms can live there and thus regulate what plants and other nutrients are able to be in the ground.

http://www.panda.org/resources/publications/sustainability/acidrain/Thesis/af_ch7.htm This is interesting research on how forest fires affect forest degradation from acid rain. His research indicates that the ash layer left behind after a burn is sufficient to protect the forest from acid rain (although he makes no claim as to how long it works). He says that the convention of liming forests to neutralize acid rain is easier and more effective in returning Mg and Ca to the forests than prescribed burning.

http://www.scar.utoronto.ca/~weather/manyp/Effects/fish.html This website is operated by the University of Toronto. The site focuses on the acidified lakes in Ontario as a result of acid rain. It contains a graph of the pH levels and resulting effects on aquatic ecosystems as the Ph becomes more acidic or more alkaline. The site also discusses the issue of aluminum leaching caused by acid rain which caused many fish kills.

http://odin.dep.no/md/html/acid/Eurofor.html This website is operated by the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority. The site contains a lot of good general information about the causes and effects of acid rain. The section of most interest to me was the section, which discusses the loss of forested land in Europe. It contains facts, reports, and graphs concerning the effects on European forests. For example, one graph illustrates the change in average crown densities.

http://odin.dep.no/md/html/acid/Acid.html ACID RAIN. This is a public information site about the effects of acid rain from the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority. There is information on acid rain, the effects of acid rain on soil, plant life, rivers, seas, and fish. They also discuss responsibilities, as either other country (ies) may be the source of pollution, current or in the past, which is causing an increase in acid rain.

http://www.cent.org/geo12/foc2a3c.htm
This site offers a list of World Wide Web sites that offer information related to acid rain. The sites range from information about acid rain formation, to tracking acid rain by the USGS, to the effects of it. The sites related to the effects cover the effects on human health, to effects of forests, water, and other things.

http://www.agwt.org/Trust_files/info/acid_rain.htm Short and sweet piece on Acid Rain and Ground Water Quality. This article was originally published in The American Well Owner. Details what acid rain is, how it may effect ground water quality, how to buffer a system if it is not buffered naturally and whether or not this should be of concern to the well owner.

http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/isopleths/maps2000/ Shows a map of the US and pH levels as well as specific chemical levels. You are able to download a map of the US and the particular chemical and it concentration levels for which you are looking. Chemicals available are as follows: SO4, NO3, NH4, Ca, Mg, K, Na, and Cl.

http://ks.essortment.com/acidraineffect_rqmz.htm how acid rain effects plants and wildlife. Begins with a description of acid depositions and sources. The site then runs blurbs on the effects of acid rain on plant, animal, aquatic and human life. Amusing because it is the most recent site I could find. Advertisements are spliced straight into the test. So much for the lofty heights of science.

http://www.soton.ac.uk/~engenvir/environment/air/acid.home.html This beautiful page has useful information on acid rain and is easy to use. It discusses some important topics such as what acid rain is, how it is caused, and what out government is doing about it. The site seems to be for use in schools and has an interesting questionnaire that you can fill out at the end.

http://www.lanl.gov/projects/cctc This site, sponsored by the US Department of Energy, is dedicated entirely to a project called the Clean Coal Technology Project run by the National Energy Technology Laboratory in California. This site lists experiments on alternative energy and fuel, recycling fuel, economic issues, and industry response.

http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/eae/Acid_Rain/acid_rain.html This is a website from the United Kingdom that includes a lot of information on acid rain both in general and in Europe. This site discusses the chemistry of air pollution and moisture in the atmosphere, contributing factors such as cars, chimneys, smoke stacks, and includes natural factors as well. The effects of acid rain on wildlife, soils, lakes, and buildings are also included. Different types of modeling and measuring, and international agreements are outlined. For some of the information on this site there is a children's version that can be selected, all of the information is otherwise technical, although there is a very convenient linked glossary.

http://www.angelfire.com/ks/boredwalk This website is an educational website designed for students. First, one selects a related topic under the large category of acid rain. Topics range from chemistry and environment to history or politics/government issues. Next, under each topic there are links to several subtopics and general information about the topic you have selected. I found this site to be very friendly.

http://www.scar.utoronto.ca/~weather/maryp/Effects/fish.html This website is produced by the University of Toronto. It covers the effects of acid rain on aquatic ecosystems, especially focusing on the lakes near Toronto. This site includes photos of fish from healthy versus acidic lakes, as well as a very informative table on the effects of lowered pH to aquatic ecosystems. A very useful website for the chemist and the biologist.

http://www.utexas.edu/ftp/depts/grg/ustudent/gcraft/fall96/patel/projects/fall96/acidrain Students and faculty at the University of Texas made this site. It is an informational site the basics of acid rain, its causes and effects, ways to prevent acid rain, as well as using GIS to monitor acid rain.

http://www.sepa.org.uk/publications/stateoftheenvironment/stateenv/soeair.htm This page is the air quality page of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. It has data concerning the release of SOx and NOx, as well as trends in over the past several decades. The pH of many lakes in Scotland has been affected by acid rain, some to the point of becoming fishless. Recent data show sulphate levels to be dropping and recovery on the way.

http://www.internat.environ.se/index.php3?main=/documents/pollutants/kalka/acidrain/acidrain.htm
This is a Swedish Environmental Protection Agency website. It gives background information on why NOx and SOx reductions are necessary for the region as well as reduction goals. The sight has great links to other Swedish EPA sights of acidification, Sulphur deposition over the last 120 years and more.

http://www.iges.or.jp/ires/a3.pdf This site is a article, pubished in International Review of Environmental Strategies, concerning acid rain is Southern Asia. The paper outlines a means of integrating the region environmental concerns and developing policies the will allow issues that cross borders to be dealt with effectively.