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Research article2008Peer reviewed

Testing the steady-state water chemistry model predictions of pre-industrial lake pH with paleolimnolognical data from northern Sweden

Bishop, K.; Rapp, L.; Kohler, S.; Korsman, T.

Abstract

Criteria are needed for distinguishing naturally acid water from that acidified by air pollution, especially in the organic-rich waters of northern Sweden. The Steady-State Water Chemistry Model (SSWC) was augmented to include organic acidity so that it could predict pre-industrial pH in organic-rich waters. The resulting model predictions of pre-industrial ANC and pH were then tested against diatom predictions of pre-industrial pH and alkalinity in 58 lakes from N. Sweden (after alkalinity was converted to ANC using the CBALK method).The SSWC Model's predictions of pre-industrial lake pH in N. Sweden did not correspond well with the diatom predictions, even when accounting for the uncertainty in the diatom model. This was due to the SSWC's sensitivity to short-term fluctuations in contemporary water chemistry. Thus the SSWC Model is not suitable for judging the acidification of individual lakes in areas such as northern Sweden where the degree of chronic acidification is small, or without a good average value of contemporary water chemistry. These results should be considered when assessing the accuracy of critical loads calculated using SSWC. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

Critical loads; Diatoms; Pre-industrial conditions; Steady-state water chemistry model; Surface water acidification

Published in

Science of the Total Environment
2008, Volume: 407, number: 1, pages: 723-729

      SLU Authors

    • Bishop, Kevin

      • Department of Environmental Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      • Rapp, Lars

        • Department of Environmental Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      Sustainable Development Goals

      SDG6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
      Fish and Aquacultural Science
      Economics and Business

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.10.007

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/23587