Severe stream water acidification occurs at higher altitudes (> 600 m a.s.1.) in the Western Harz mountains in Northern Germany. Since 1986 an interdisciplinary research team has followed the fate of pollutants in the 50 km z catchment of an important drinking water reservoir (Lake S6se). An acidification experiment has estimated the role of the remobilization of selected elements from the lake sediments via acidification. Aquaria were used to monitor the effects of a stepwise acidification (from the natural pH of 6.5 to 5.0, 4.0 and 3.0) of the water column over a reconstituted sediment layer. The sediment chemistry has been analyzed before and after the acidification by XRF. The water chemistry was sampled at time intervals and analyzed by ICP-MS.
With a pH drop from 6.5 to 3.0, many elements increase in concentration in the water of the acidified basins. Enrichment factors were: AI (5000), Ba (10), Cd (220), Co (800), Cu (170), Ni (90), Pb (5000), and Zn (400). This corresponds fairly well with the field data. A1, Cd, Fe, Mn, and Pb exceed German drinking water limits at pH 4.0. The combined high concentrations (Ixg L -~) of A1 (1000-2600), Cd (2-4), Cu (4-7), Pb (30-60), and Zn (100-300) in the water column of the acidified streams are not only toxic for fish but also for many other aquatic organisms. Chemical changes in the sediment are not significant within the experimental setup.