s through the soil. Since the Industrial Revolution there has been an increasing amount of sulfur in the soil. The river does not have enough sulfur in it to complete the reaction until it filters through the sulfur rich soil. This in part aids in the reaction creating sulfuric acid. When it joins with the water the pH rises dramatically (Louma, 1984, 148). This is how acid enters our waters, and its affects are devastating. The natural water does not contain the right amounts of sulfur to create the acid but with a little help from man the cycle is complete. At the beginning of the 20th century most rivers and lakes, like the river in Tovdal, Norway had not yet begun to die. However, by 1926 local inspectors were noticing that many of the lakes were beginning to show signs of death. Fish were found dead on the banks of rivers. As the winter ice and snow began to thaw, the fish kills rose dramatically. River trout was one of the hardest hit of fish populations (Pearce, 1987, p.23). It was at this time that scientists began to search for a reason. As the scientists continued their investigations, the fish kills rose. They found that the fish were dying at an alarming rate; they even found masses of up to 5,000 dead fish in some areas. When divers were sent to examine the bottom of the river all they found were more dead fish. The live and dead specimens were taken to laboratories across Norway for further examination. When the live specimens were examined they were found to have very low sodium levels in their bloodstreams. This is a typical symptom of acid poisoning. The acid had entered the fish's gills and poisoned them so that they were unable to extract salt from the water in order to maintain their body's normal sodium level (Pearce, 1987, p.34).Some scientists theorized that the acid poisoning was due to natural acidic runoff from the spring thaw. They felt that the snow had been exposed to natural phenomena...
