Effects of Acid Deposition on Water Chemistry and Aquatic Life

1
Effects of Acid Deposition on Water Chemistry and
Aquatic Life
2
Sulfur Dioxide Haze Over the Laurel Hill in
Southwestern Pennsylvania
3
Study Sites
Roberts Run
Stone Run
Benner Run
Baldwin Creek
Linn Run
4
Base Cation Depletion
H
NO3-
SO42-
Al
Mg2
K
Ca2
5
Episodic Acidification
H
NO3-
SO42-
Al
6
Chronic Acidification
H
NO3-
SO42-
Al
7
Low Flow - Baseflow
8
Low Flow (Baseflow)
Soil
Stream
Ground Water
9
Pennsylvania Geology
9,000 miles of streams are vulnerable to acid
rain
10
Groundwater Chemistry
Rock Group Name
11
High Flow - Stormflow
12
Sampling Strategy is Critical
Points denote monthly grab samples
13
An Acid Episode
Aluminum
pH
Stream Flow
14
Base Cation Depletion
Calcium
Stream Flow
15
Flow Source Chemistry
16
Where Does the Water Come From?
Total Stream Flow
Precipitation
Groundwater
Soil Water
17
Effects on Fish
Fish are good indicators of the cumulative impact
of acid rain

• Bioassays
• Radio telemetry
• Population effects

18
Bioassays
19
Aluminum Effects on Trout Survival30-Day
Bioassay Results
Stream Name
20
Median Episodic Al (µg/L)
600
100
Brook Trout Bioassays
500
100
400
20
17
12
40
300
0
3
0
19
7
Lethal
100
55
100
6
6
19
10
31
5
3
200
39
10
5
11
13
16
13
59
57
12
37
6
0
6
2
7
8
0
6
7
7
46
21
13
47
9
0
13
3
50
41
0
9
5
6
0
0
8
5
5
5
100
0
11
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
Non-Lethal
7
8
17
17
0
0
0
0
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
100
200
400
300
Duration (hours)
21
(No Transcript)
22
Fish Telemetry
23
Brook Trout Movement
24
Refuge
Main Stream
25
(No Transcript)
26
Population Effects
27
Loss of Fish Species Diversity
28
Effect on MacroinvertebratesE/D Ratio

• Ephemeroptera Taxa / Diptera Taxa
• Parameter that integrates water quality changes
  over time

29
E/D Results from SW PA

• Ratio gt 1.0 slight/no impact from acid
  deposition
• Ratio 0.25 to 1.0 moderately impacted
• Ratio lt 0.25 severely impacted

30
Are Streams Improving?Roberts Run, Clearfield
County
Sulfate
pH