The US Geological Survey recently reported that a number of significant river systems had become less acidic, an outcome attributed to lower acidic inputs from industrial waste, acid mine drainage, or atmospheric deposition. The full study is:
Stets, E.G., Kelly, V.J., Crawford, C.G., 2014. Long-term trends in alkalinity in large rivers of the conterminous US in relation to acidification, agriculture, and hydrologic modification. Science of The Total Environment, 488–489, 280-289. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.04.054
The Rio Tinto (“Red River”) in Spain, perhaps the archetypal acidic river, with a long history of negative environmental impacts, in this case from acid mine drainage. Curiously, the company originally formed to operate mines in the Rio Tinto area called itself “Rio Tinto”, and still carries that name despite the severe environmental damage in the eponymous river.
It’s nice to be able to pass on good news of the geochemical kind, showing that human management can make a positive difference to environments as well as a negative one.
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