Researchers at UNH received $400,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to continue monitoring lake acidity in the Northeast. This is the last installment of a five-year, $1.1 million grant that evaluates the effectiveness of the Clean Air Act Amendments instated in 1990.
“Acid rain research can help answer questions about the impact of this form of pollution on water quality and forest health,” said UNH Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs John Aber.
Congress passed the amendments in hopes of reducing acidic deposition to lakes and streams by regulating sulfur and nitrogen emissions, mainly from coal-burning power plants. Acid Rain, or acidic inputs, is the result of these emissions and the cause of dying fish, and fishless lakes.
Researchers have found that the number of acidic lakes that existed 20 years ago is more than double the number that exists today.
Steve Kahl, an environmental chemist and professor at UNH, has been working on this project. He said that although they have seen improvements, there is still a long way to go.
This specific grant involved selecting over 100 lakes with a variety of characteristics to analyze the response on a broad spectrum. They range from lowland to high in elevation, clear to dark water (which has a lot of organic matter). Some of the lakes have human development on their shores, but most do not.
Researchers tested the pH levels to determine the acidity of the lakes. The higher the pH level, the less acidic the lake is. The natural organic acidity came back as acid rain declined, meaning that the pH of the lakes didn't increase as much as expected. Kahl related their findings to climate change, with the natural cooling and warming cycles of the earth.
Kahl said that in comparison to other parts of the world, our country is slacking on protecting the environment.
“If the U.S. can catch up with the rest of the world in alternative energy, the lakes should continue to recover,” said Kahl who has been monitoring and collecting data for 30 years.
The threat is the possibility of relying solely on coal for energy, thus producing more acid rain. With talks of an oil embargo in the Middle East, some people want to rely solely on coal supply.
“If we replaced all the oil we use with coal in power plants and by liquefying coal for gasoline, we only have 35 years of coal in the U.S.,” Kahl said, “It isn't a [long term] solution.”
Aber explained that in some parts of central Europe, deposition rates have dropped lower than 50 percent. Rapidly developing countries, such as China are facing the opposite.
“Emissions of both sulfur and nitrogen are increasing dramatically, and leading to increases in the acidity of rainfall,” said Aber.
With research like this, there is hope for the lakes and their ecosystems. The research team hopes to receive more financial support.
“The EPA says that ours is one of the most helpful programs they've ever funded,” Kahl said.
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