Final answer:
Apart from reducing pollutants that cause acid rain, another solution for acidified lakes is liming, which involves adding limestone to neutralize the acidity and increase pH levels in the lakes and streams.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cutting back on the pollutants that cause acid rain is one solution to the problem of acidified lakes. Another solution to counteract the acidification of lakes could be the process of liming.
Liming involves adding substances like calcium carbonate (limestone) to acidified lakes and streams to neutralize the acidity, thereby increasing the pH to a more natural level.
This method has been effectively used in areas like Scandinavia to mitigate the effects of acid rain. It can help to restore aquatic ecosystems and is helpful where natural buffering is insufficient.
However, while liming provides short-term relief, it does not address the root cause of acid rain and, therefore, must be periodically repeated to maintain a neutral pH in affected bodies of water.
The impact of acid rain is far-reaching, as it not only leads to acidified lakes and streams but also contributes to the damage of sensitive forest soils and harms trees, especially at higher elevations.
It accelerates the decay of building materials and paints, harming cultural heritage. Moreover, the compounds responsible for acid rain,
such as sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), can release toxic metals like aluminum into the water, which is detrimental to aquatic life. The initiatives to limit sulfur and nitrogen emissions have been somewhat effective in North America and Europe, but the problems continue to plague industrial areas in countries like China and India.