Battarbee, RW; Allott, TEH; Bull, K; Christie, AEG; Curtis, C; Flower, RJ; Hall, J; + view all Battarbee, RW; Allott, TEH; Bull, K; Christie, AEG; Curtis, C; Flower, RJ; Hall, J; Harriman, R; Jenkins, A; Juggins, S; Kreiser, A; Metcalfe, SE; Ormerod, SJ; Patrick, ST; - view fewer (1994) Critical loads of acid deposition for UK freshwaters: Report of the Critical Loads Advisory Group, sub-group on Freshwaters, for the UK Department of the Environment. (ECRC Research Paper 11 ). UCL Environmental Change Research Centre: London, UK.

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Abstract

Following a decade of intensive research on the causes, mechanisms and extent of surface water acidification in the United Kingdom, and the general acceptance that acidification is a major environmental problem, attention is now focused on ameliorative strategies and their potential success. Within the Department of the Environment's research programme this comprises two components: defining and mapping the critical loads of acidity for freshwaters, and monitoring selected freshwaters to evaluate the long-term benefits of reducing acidifying emissions from power stations. This report presents the interim results of the first of these, the critical loads programme. Approximately 1600 water bodies throughout the UK have been sampled and analysed to enable critical load values for the most sensitive sites within grid squares to be derived and mapped as required by the UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe). A validation study of these primary survey data is now being carried out. When complete, new critical load maps will be published showing sites where modifications are needed. In this report we refer only to acidity that is attributable to sulphur deposition. However, the acidification status of some freshwaters is also influenced by nitrogen deposition. For these sites the values shown on the critical load exceedance maps will be under-estimates. Current research is addressing this issue, and future critical load exceedance maps will show values for total acidity (sulphur+ nitrogen}. All the work presented here has benefitted from discussion within the DoE's Critical Loads Advisory Group (CLAG) and the CLAG Sub group on Freshwaters. I should like to thank members of both those groups for their contributions and for their help over the last four years. I should also like to thank the DoE for funding.

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