Acid Rain in the Adirondacks By: Kaydee Oliver

December 8, 2011

Acid Rain

Causes:

•Fossil fuel burning industries and other human activities

•Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide

•Natural Causes

Forms of Acid Precipitation:

Dry Deposition

Adirondack State Park

About the Adirondacks:• 6 million acres (privately owned, state owner, “Forever Wild Preserve)

• 3,000 lakes

•30,000 miles of rivers and streams

History Acid Rain & The Adirondack State Park

• 1852 Robert Angus Smith, Manchester England

• 1951 C.V “Major” Bowes – Adirondacks Discovery

•1970 largest impact of acid rain

Acid Rain Target

Why?• Located in a mountain range

• Buffering Capacity - soil is only about 10,000 years old - texture sandy and slightly acidic - tends to be infertile

Acid Rain Impact on Lakes

• 1,469/3,000 lakes are acidic under the pH of 5.6

• In 2000 Big Moose Lake, largest dead lake of 1,266 acres • Little Echo Lake pH of 4.2 most acidic body of water * Some lakes are coming back to life due to stricter laws and regulations on industrial pollutants . Brooke Trout Lake is one of them.

Acid Rain Impact on Lakes

Impacted Organism:

• Fish very few can live in highly acidic waters

•Invertebrates

•Other species such as otters and loons have to relocated to a different food source if lakes die out and there is not enough food left.

Acid Rain: Mercury Poisoning in Lakes

Mercury consumption isn’t just unsafe for humans other species also suffer from it:•Nerve Damage •Behavioral Changes

Acid Rain: Aluminum Poisoning in Lakes

• Released from the soil into the watershed

•0.1 mg/L of Al is poisonous to fish at pH level of 5.0-5.6

• Aluminum ions collect on fish gills creating slimy layers

Acid Rain: Impacts on Adirondacks Forest

Sugar Maple Depletion: • Calcium loss • less seed production

-However Beech trees are starting to thrive

Acid Rain Impact on Humans

Problems due to Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxides:• Asthma •Bronchitis • lung problems• Can cause premature death

Other problem:•Rusting

Acid Rain Control

• 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments - decreased Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide emissions - companies required to use scrubbers, also used on vehicle tail pipes • Educate People•Use Less Fossil Fuels

Any Questions?

Works Cited • (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2011, from Acid Rain in the Adirondacks Past, Present and Future:• http://www.adkmuseum.org/acidrain/index.shtml• • Acid Rain. (2011, March 24). Retrieved October 24, 2011, from United States Environmental Protection• Agency: http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/• Agency, A. P. (2003 ). Geology of the Adirondack Park. Retrieved November 29 , 2011, from New York • State Adirondack Park Agency : http://apa.ny.gov/About_Park/geology.htm• • B.V, L. (1998-2011). Aluminum and water: reaction mechanisms, environmental impact and health• effects. Retrieved December 2 , 2011, from Water Treatment Solutions Lenntech : http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/water/aluminium/aluminum-and-

water.htm• • Cappiello, D. (2000, September 12). Lake shows little revival. Retrieved October 31 , 2011, from Light For• All The Baltimore Sun : http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2000-09-12/news/0009120250_1_big-moose-lake-acid-rain-adirondack-lakes• • Effects of Acid Rain on Adirondack Lakes. (1998 ). Retrieved October 29 , 2011, from Department of • Enviromental Conservation : http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8631.html• • MSNBC. (2011). Retrieved October 29, 2011, from Dead lake comes back to life, at least for now: • http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13049814#• • New York State Adirondack State Park Agency . (2003). Retrieved October 28 , 2011, from • http://www.apa.state.ny.us/About_Park/more_park.html• • New York Times . (1985, April 30 ). Retrieved October 29 , 2011 , from SCIENCE WATCH; Reviving 'Dead' • Lakes: http://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/30/science/science-watch-reviving-dead-lakes.html• •