Acid Rain in NorwayBy: Karolina, Sophors, Emilie and Njaal

Acid rain

• acid deposition : wet (rain, snow, sleet, fog and cloudwater, dew) and dry deposition (acidifying particles and gases)

• all rain acid – pH 5.6 (dissolved carbon dioxide)

• sulphur dioxide , nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide

• record for acidity: December 1982 in Los Angeles fog of pH of 1.5

Sulphur Dioxide

• pollutant gas produced by burning coal and hydrocarbon fuels like oil

• major sources: power stations, domestic heating systems and some industrial processes such as smelting, marine algae and rotting vegetation

Nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen monoxide

pollutant gases from combustion mainly internal combustion engines incars and lorries

transboundary issue

Acid Rain in Norway90 percent of acid rain in Norway comes from

European countries.Some of the largest amounts of acid pollution

have come from the UK, Germany and Poland.In Norway, sources of Sulphur emissions are

metal production, stationary combustion and other industrial processes.

Nitrogen emissions mainly originate from diffuse sources, i.e. from road traffic, shipping and aircraft.

 In Norway coastal traffic, fishing vessels, road traffic and oil and gas extraction are the most important sources of Nitrogen emissions.

Acid rain kills fishMost serious damage in the southern half of the

countryFish mortality became more widespread

between 1950 and 1990.Eighteen salmon stocks have been lost and 12

are endangeredIn most parts of the country, nitrogen accounts

for about 10 per cent of acid deposition, but in southwestern Norway this rises to 30-40 per cent.

 It is estimated that due to acid rain, trout populations have been depleted in about 5,100 lakes and damaged in another 5,800 lakes. 

Acid Rain in Norway

Damage to Norwegian forestsDamage to vegetation and the die out of forests 

The situation in Norway is better than in Central Europe.

Former East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland in 1980.

Poorer quality of plant ‘s protein

Plant’s ability to

absorb the nutrients

depends on acidity in

the soils , so less

nutrients is available

Washing out the

nutrientsE.g.

Nitrogen, Phosphoru

s, Potassium, Magnesiu

m 

Total deposits in NorwayTotal deposits of Sulphur in Norway were

reduced from 191 000 tonnes in 1980 to 79 000 tonnes in 2000.

Trends determined by energy use

Economic growth has resulted in rising demand for energy

Industrial development determines sulphur emissions

Transport determines nitrogen emissions

Norwegian’s policies for Acid Rain

The Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution was signed in 1979

Gothenburg Protocol in 2005 to sets limits for emissions of several substances including sulphur and nitrogen, and will be used to control emissions of sulphur and nitrogen in Europe up to 2010.

Norway to reduce Sulphur and nitrogen emissionsTotal deposits of sulphur in Norway was reduced

from 191 000 tonnes in 1980 to 62 000 tonnes in 2003

Norway has undertaken to reduce its emissions of sulphur dioxide to a maximum of 22 000 tonnes in 2010, in which corresponds to a reduction of 58 per cent compared with the 1990 level.

Total deposits of nitrogen were reduced from 173 400 tonnes in 1980 to 104 000 tonnes in 2003

The targets for nitrogen are maximum emissions of 156 000 tonnes nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 23 000 tonnes of ammonia (NH3), in which corresponds to a reduction of 28 per cent for NOx.