Acid Rain

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very large.
Detecting an acid lake is often quite difficult. A lake does not become
acid over night. It happens over a period of many years, some times decades.
The changes are usually to gradual for them to be noticed early.

At the beginning of the 20th century most rivers/lakes like the river
Tovdal in Norway had not yet begun to die. However by 1926 local inspectors
were noticing that many of the lakes were beginning to show signs of death.
Fish were found dead along the banks of many rivers. As the winters ice
began to melt off more and more hundreds upon hundreds more dead fish
(trout in particular) were being found. It was at this time that scientist
began to search for the reason. As the scientists continued to work they
found many piles of dead fish, up to 5000 in one pile, further up the river.
Divers were sent in to examine the bottom of the rivers. What they found
were many more dead fish. Many live and dead specimens were taken back to
labs across Norway. When the ...

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such as calcium and limestone; in the soil had been
washed away. It is these lakes that we must be worried about for they will
soon become extinct.

A fact that may please fishermen is that in lakes/rivers they tend to
catch older and larger fish. This may please them in the short run however
they will soon have to change lakes for the fish supply will die quickly in
these lakes. The problem is that acid causes difficulties the fish's
reproductive system. Often fish born in acid lakes do not survive for they
are born with birth defects such as twisted and deformed spinal columns.
This is a sign that they are unable to extract enough calcium from the
water to fully develop their ...

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