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Aluminum toxicity risk reduction as a result of reduced acid deposition in Adirondack lakes and ponds

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Abstract

In 1990, the US Congress amended the Clean Air Act (CAA) to reduce regional-scale ecosystem degradation from SO x and NO x emissions which have been responsible for acid deposition in regions such as the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. An ecosystem assessment project was conducted from 1994 to 2012 by the Darrin Fresh Water Institute to determine the effect of these emission reduction policies on aquatic systems. The project investigated water chemistry and biota in 30 Adirondack lakes and ponded waters. Although regulatory changes made in response to the 1990 CAA amendments resulted in a reduction of acid deposition within the Adirondacks, the ecosystem response to these reductions is complicated. A statistical analysis of SO4, pH, Al, and DOC data collected during this project demonstrates positive change in response to decreased deposition. The changes in water chemistry also have lowered the risk of Al toxicity to brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis [Mitchill]), which allowed the re-introduction of this species to Brooktrout Lake from which it had been extirpated. However, pH and labile aluminum (Alim) fluctuate and are not strongly correlated to changes in acid deposition. As such, toxicity to S. fontinalis also is cyclic and provides rationale for the difficulties inherent in re-establishing resident populations in impacted aquatic environments. Overall, aquatic ecosystems of the Adirondacks show a positive response to reduced deposition driven by changes in environmental policy, but the response is more complex and indicates an ecosystem-wide interaction between aquatic and watershed components of the ecosystem.

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Acknowledgments

This study is part of the Adirondack Effects Assessment Program (AEAP) that was supported by a contract from the US Environmental Protection Agency (contract no. 68D20171) to S. Nierzwicki-Bauer and C. Boylen at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 1994 to 2006. Research conducted between 2007 and 2009 was funded by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and work undertaken between 2010 and 2012 was funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (contract no. 16298). Although this work has been funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, it has not been subjected to agency review and, therefore, does not necessarily reflect the views of either agency, and no official endorsement should be inferred. We are greatly indebted to all of our colleagues in the AEAP that have made significant contributions to the collection, analysis, and/or interpretation of samples and results. In particular, Clifford Siegfried, Robert Daniels and Bryan Weatherwax from the New York State Museum and Scott Quinn and Jay Bloomfield from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Police Division of Aviation were instrumental for the success of this project. Also, we acknowledge the contributions of Trisha Lincoln from the US Geological Survey who conducted the Al analysis. Finally, we acknowledge the outstanding contributions of numerous other staff at the Rensselaer’s Darrin Fresh Water Institute who assisted in the sample collection and analysis.

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  1. Toby M. Michelena

    Present address: Wenzhou-Kean University, 88 Daxue Rd., Ouhai, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, 325060, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Darrin Fresh Water Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA

    Toby M. Michelena, Jeremy L. Farrell, David A. Winkler, Christine A. Goodrich, Charles W. Boylen & Sandra A. Nierzwicki-Bauer

  2. Division of Water, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (retired), 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233, USA

    James W. Sutherland

  3. Darrin Fresh Water Institute, 5060 Lakeshore Drive, Bolton Landing, NY, 12814, USA

    Sandra A. Nierzwicki-Bauer

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  1. Toby M. Michelena
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Correspondence to Sandra A. Nierzwicki-Bauer.

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Michelena, T.M., Farrell, J.L., Winkler, D.A. et al. Aluminum toxicity risk reduction as a result of reduced acid deposition in Adirondack lakes and ponds. Environ Monit Assess 188, 636 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5589-4

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