Acid deposition in East and Southeast Asia – EANET Researchers look at the science and policy over the last 30 years
3 June 2022 – Niigata, Japan
The well-renowned researcher Prof. Hajime Akimoto and co-authors recently published the article Development of science and policy related to acid deposition in East Asia over 30 years on the occasion of the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the EANET.
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Acid Deposition and its Impacts
Acid deposition is a scientific phenomenon in which air pollutants, mainly sulfur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX), and other air pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere from the combustion of fossil fuels and forest fires. They are transformed via long-range transport and chemical reactions with water, oxygen, and other atmospheric chemicals, which produce nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and other acids in the atmosphere and come down on the earth’s surface. The deposition of acids on the surface causes detrimental impacts on the ecosystem, water bodies, soil, forests, and infrastructures.
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Evaluation of Policy Development
Based on three decades of knowledge on acid deposition in East Asia, Professor Akimoto and co-authors in EANET summarized the development of science and policy on acid deposition in East Asia over the period of 30 years.
In this article, the authors reviewed the state of acid deposition in East Asia since the 1980s and early 1990s and report important information on acidification of inland water, forest soil, and forest decline in the East Asia region.
In the context of broadening the scope of the EANET to include wider air pollution issues, Akimoto et al. also analyzed the past successes and future challenges the EANET will face in the coming years.
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Read the full article on the following link: Akimoto et al. (2022), Development of science and policy related to acid deposition in East Asia over 30 years, Ambio, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-022-01702-6
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Continue the discussion on science, policy, and acid deposition in East Asia and ask questions to Professor Akimoto during The State of Acid Deposition in East Asia, from data to policy online awareness workshop on 20 June 2022.
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Photo credits: Indonesia by Ali Burhan (2021), free of the copyright license.