Acid precipitation and other possible sources for acidification of rivers and lakes

The trends in the recent acidification of rivers and lakes in South Norway are reviewed, and the evidence for a causal relationship between acid precipitation and acidification of surface water is critically examined. Results from regional surveys, studies in small catchment areas and from percolation experiments are presented. Several sources may contribute to the acidification. However, changes in the composition of the precipitation during the recent decades, mainly because of increased combustion of fossil fuels, seem to be a dominant cause at least in some of the most affected areas.