Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing the impacts of international emissions reduction scenarios on the acidification of freshwaters in Great Britain with the First-order Acidity Balance (FAB) model and the Hull Acid Rain Model (HARM)
AU - Curtis, C. J.
AU - Whyatt, J. D.
AU - Metcalfe, S. E.
AU - Allott, T. E.H.
AU - Harriman, R.
PY - 1999/11/1
Y1 - 1999/11/1
N2 - Critical loads models for acidity underpin international negotiations for the reduction of acid deposition through emissions controls. In Great Britain and Scandinavia, critical loads for freshwater ecosystems are calculated with the First-order Acidity Balance (FAB) model, which can provide a catchment based estimate of deposition reduction requirements of sulphur and nitrogen species in order to protect any aquatic target organism for which a critical chemical threshold is defined. The FAB model is applied to a national freshwaters database for Great Britain using three deposition scenarios generated with the Hull Acid Rain Model (HARM). Critical load exceedance and changes in three important chemical indicators (non-marine sulphate, nitrate and acid neutralising capacity) are assessed for 1990 baseline deposition levels, planned emissions reductions under existing international commitments (REF scenario), and a potential stringent emission reduction scenario under a multi-pollutant, multi-effect strategy (E10 scenario). Model outputs indicate that the number of sampled sites exceeding their critical load would be reduced by 60% and 73% respectively under the two future deposition scenarios. There is a clear need for a strategy to reduce both S and N deposition from 1990 levels if British freshwaters in sensitive areas are to be protected.
AB - Critical loads models for acidity underpin international negotiations for the reduction of acid deposition through emissions controls. In Great Britain and Scandinavia, critical loads for freshwater ecosystems are calculated with the First-order Acidity Balance (FAB) model, which can provide a catchment based estimate of deposition reduction requirements of sulphur and nitrogen species in order to protect any aquatic target organism for which a critical chemical threshold is defined. The FAB model is applied to a national freshwaters database for Great Britain using three deposition scenarios generated with the Hull Acid Rain Model (HARM). Critical load exceedance and changes in three important chemical indicators (non-marine sulphate, nitrate and acid neutralising capacity) are assessed for 1990 baseline deposition levels, planned emissions reductions under existing international commitments (REF scenario), and a potential stringent emission reduction scenario under a multi-pollutant, multi-effect strategy (E10 scenario). Model outputs indicate that the number of sampled sites exceeding their critical load would be reduced by 60% and 73% respectively under the two future deposition scenarios. There is a clear need for a strategy to reduce both S and N deposition from 1990 levels if British freshwaters in sensitive areas are to be protected.
KW - Acidification
KW - Critical loads
KW - FAB model
KW - Freshwaters
KW - HARM model
KW - Nitrate
U2 - 10.1260/0958305991499793
DO - 10.1260/0958305991499793
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:0033499150
VL - 10
SP - 571
EP - 596
JO - Energy and Environment
JF - Energy and Environment
SN - 0958-305X
IS - 6
ER -