How does excess acidity affect aquatic ecosystems? Provide at least one example to illustrate.
What will be an ideal response?
Acid deposition harms aquatic ecosystems. Most fish cannot survive in water with a pH less than 4.5. In addition, as acid precipitation flows through soils, it can release aluminum ions (Al31) attached to minerals in the soils and carry them into lakes, streams, and wetlands. These ions lead to the suffocation of many kinds of fish by stimulating excessive mucus formation, which clogs their gills. Because of excess acidity, several thousand lakes in Norway and Sweden, and 1,200 lakes in Ontario, Canada, contain few if any fish. In the United States, several hundred lakes (most in the Northeast) are similarly threatened.
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