Laboratory Simulation of Acid Rain Effects on Freshwater Microcrustaceans

摘要

The principal objective of this study was to investigate the sensitivity of freshwater microcrustaceans to stress associated with acid rain. All experiments were performed in large (50-gallon) aquaria in order to have satisfactory pH control, to be able to use sufficient numbers of replicates for each pH treatment, and to be sufficient to make small additions of sulfuric acid since the test water had low alkalinity. The potential effect of acid rain on Daphnia pulex (Crustacea: Cladocera) was studied in laboratory populations subjected to exposures for 1, 12, 24, 48, and 96 hours, at pH levels ranging from 4.0 to ambient (6.6).