Regional trends in aquatic recovery from acidification in North America and Europe

J. L. Stoddard (), D. S. Jeffries, A. Lükewille, T. A. Clair, P. J. Dillon, C. T. Driscoll, M. Forsius, M. Johannessen, J. S. Kahl, J. H. Kellogg, A. Kemp, J. Mannio, D. T. Monteith, P. S. Murdoch, S. Patrick, A. Rebsdorf, B. L. Skjelkvåle, M. P. Stainton, T. Traaen, H. van Dam, K. E. Webster, J. Wieting and A. Wilander
Additional contact information
J. L. Stoddard: Environmental Protection Agency
D. S. Jeffries: Environment Canada, PO Box 5050
A. Lükewille: Norwegian Institute for Air Research, PO Box 100
T. A. Clair: Environment Canada, PO Box 6227
P. J. Dillon: Ontario Ministry of the Environment, PO Box 39
C. T. Driscoll: Syracuse University
M. Forsius: Finnish Environment Institute, Box 140
M. Johannessen: Norwegian Institute for Water Research, PO Box 173
J. S. Kahl: University of Maine, Sawyer Research Center
J. H. Kellogg: Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
A. Kemp: Environment Canada
J. Mannio: Finnish Environment Institute, Box 140
D. T. Monteith: Environmental Change Research Centre, University College
P. S. Murdoch: US Geological Survey
S. Patrick: Environmental Change Research Centre, University College
A. Rebsdorf: National Environmental Research Institute, PO Box 314
B. L. Skjelkvåle: Norwegian Institute for Water Research, PO Box 173
M. P. Stainton: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
T. Traaen: Norwegian Institute for Water Research, PO Box 173
H. van Dam: Aquasence TEC, PO Box 95125
K. E. Webster: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
J. Wieting: Umweltbundesamt
A. Wilander: University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7050

Nature, 1999, vol. 401, issue 6753, 575-578

Abstract: Abstract Rates of acidic deposition from the atmosphere (‘acid rain’) have decreased throughout the 1980s and 1990s across large portions of North America and Europe1,2. Many recent studies have attributed observed reversals in surface-water acidification at national3 and regional4 scales to the declining deposition. To test whether emissions regulations have led to widespread recovery in surface-water chemistry, we analysed regional trends between 1980 and 1995 in indicators of acidification (sulphate, nitrate and base-cation concentrations, and measured (Gran) alkalinity) for 205 lakes and streams in eight regions of North America and Europe. Dramatic differences in trend direction and strength for the two decades are apparent. In concordance with general temporal trends in acidic deposition, lake and stream sulphate concentrations decreased in all regions with the exception of Great Britain; all but one of these regions exhibited stronger downward trends in the 1990s than in the 1980s. In contrast, regional declines in lake and stream nitrate concentrations were rare and, when detected, were very small. Recovery in alkalinity, expected wherever strong regional declines in sulphate concentrations have occurred, was observed in all regions of Europe, especially in the 1990s, but in only one region (of five) in North America. We attribute the lack of recovery in three regions (south/central Ontario, the Adirondack/Catskill mountains and midwestern North America) to strong regional declines in base-cation concentrations that exceed the decreases in sulphate concentrations.

Date: 1999
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DOI: 10.1038/44114

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