Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to assess the rate of recovery of acidified lakes located near the town of Coniston following an abrupt reduction in atmospheric SO2 and metal emissions at the Coniston smelter which closed in 1972. The water chemistry of several lakes was studied over a period of 16 yr (1968–1984). In one extremely acidic lake close to the smelter, the pH increased from 4.05 in 1972 to 5.8 in 1984. Conductivity, as well as concentrations of SO4, Cu, Ni, Co, Mn, and Zn decreased by 60% to 90% in the lake water during the same period. In another initially less acidic lake nearby, the increase in pH was less dramatic, while the decrease in conductivity, SO4, and some metals was similar to that of the more acidic lake. Local SO4 deposition decreased approximately 75 % while Cu and Ni deposition decreased by 90% following closure of the Coniston smelter.
These results indicate that even severely acidified lakes can improve within a few years following a substantial reduction in atmospheric S emissions; and that in some regions recovery can occur due to reductions in SO2 emissions even in the absence of concurrent NOx control.
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Hutchinson, T.C., Havas, M. Recovery of previously acidified lakes near Coniston, Canada following reductions in atmospheric sulphur and metal emissions. Water Air Soil Pollut 28, 319–333 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583498
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583498