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An acidification of fresh waters is not over
Beneš, Filip ; Tátosová, Jolana (advisor) ; Hardekopf, David (referee)
Acidification of freshwaters is a problem of many areas over the northern hemisphere from the half of the 20th century. It has been caused by industrial factories discharging emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides, from which originate acids by the photochemical reactions in the atmosphere. Acidic atmospheric deposition has caused disappearance of fish and the most aquatic organisms in streams and lakes. Acidic atmospheric deposition has also washed up not only the buffering basic cations (Ca2+ , Mg2+ , Na+ , K+ ), but also toxic aluminium (Al3+ ) ions from soils into the freshwaters. The maximum levels of emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides were observed in 1980s and since that time the emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides significantly dropped down. However, the recovery from acidification is not as fast as it could be expected. It is impeding by several processes. One of them is hysteresis or saturation of soils by sulfur and nitrogen, which are slowly washing up into the freshwaters in forms of sulfates and nitrates now. Another process is the oligotrophication of lakes, when the important nutrient - phosphorus - is precipitating by aluminium. There is the lack of food for organisms after that. Another processes slowing down the recovery from acidification could be bad forest management...
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