Abstract
Acid deposition is widely recognized as a regional environmental problem, the chief causes of which are oxides of sulphur and nitrogen emitted during fossil-fuel combustion and metal smelting. Sulphur dioxide emissions have been cut in recent years, but we have not seen matching declines in acidity of precipitation. Why the discrepancy? Hedin et al. show that the deposition rate of atmospheric base cations (calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium) has also fallen. Quite apart from its effect on acidity, the decline could adversely affect ecosystems that depend heavily on an atmospheric supply of these nutrient elements.
| Original language | Undefined/Unknown |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 321 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Nature |
| Volume | 367 |
| Issue number | 6461 |
| State | Published - 1994 |
Keywords
- Acidity of atmospheric precipitation and contributing environmental factors