Earth and Planetary Sciences
8 years ago

Hidden river acidity levels may be drastically impacting carbon dioxide estimates

Biogeosciences
Contribution of non-carbonate anions to total alkalinity and overestimation of <i>p</i>CO<sub>2</sub> in New England and New Brunswick rivers
Christopher W Hunt, J. Salisbury, Doug Vandemark

Paper Summary

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Total alkalinity in rivers is used to measure their ability to resist changes in acidity. However, current methods may overestimate carbon dioxide levels in rivers due to the presence of non-carbonate alkalinity. A study in New England and New Brunswick rivers found that this non-carbonate alkalinity can make up a significant portion of total alkalinity, leading to an overestimation of carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere. This suggests that the traditional methods used to estimate carbon dioxide levels in rivers may need to be adjusted to account for non-carbonate alkalinity.