Water Issues in Nova Scotia: Acidification

Acid Rain is rainfall that has reacted with pollutants such as sulphur and nitrogen oxides and falls to the Earth’s surface with a pH measure lower than the ‘normal’ 5.6. Acid Rain is produced by burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and the exhaust from our cars. These pollutants mix with water in the atmosphere, get transported by the wind, and falls onto our soils, streams and waterbodies as rain. Acid rain leaches heavy metals, corrodes the outsides of buildings, and kills fish (hugely impacting salmon fisheries). Nova Scotia receives over double the amount of acid rain it’s ecosystems can safely handle each year, affecting fish habitat, forest health, and moose populations. Nova Scotia has the highest percentage of damaged fish in Canada resulting from acid rain and is the only place on the continent where entire river systems have been acidified. It is estimated that Nova Scotia only produces 15% of this acid rain, while 85% has transported from Central Canada and the United States.

To learn more about acidification in NS, go to The Atlantic Salmon Federation, Nova Scotia Salmon Association or The Department of Environment InfoBase.

Coastal Issues Committee

Phone: (902) 442-5046
Fax: (902) 405-3716

How do you like your coast? Take action on coastal issues that matter to you. The Coastal Issues Committee meets at the EAC on the last Thursday of every month at 5:30PM.