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Abstract

The goal of this work was to assess risk of chemical and biological effects of metals in reacidified, limed water bodies in Norway and Sweden. The risk assessment is based on a literature review and evaluations of water chemical data from the 1995 Nordic Lake Survey. Compared to the pre-liming period, it us unlikely that enhanced remobilization of inorganic aluminium (Al) or other toxic metals (metal bomb hypothesis) from the catchment, the lake sediment and/or the streambed will occur when limed waters reacidify. Rather, the concentrations in surface waters are expected to be lower than before liming started, because of reduced atmospheric inputs of both strong acids and metals as Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn during the last 10-20 yr. The concentrations in lakes relative to the biological effect levels, as well as the chemical properties of the different metals suggest that the potential biological risks associated to reacidification of limed lakes decrease in the order Al >> Cd > Pb. The risks associated with Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn are very low and do not have to be considered except in waters with known concentrations larger than the lowest biological risk level. Such waters are very rare (<2%). Aluminium is the metal that should be used to set the limit for judging the risk of biological damage due to reacidification of limed surface waters.