Acid rain damage could take decades to repair

Acid rain's legacy for Britain's waterways is far more serious than previously thought and will take decades to repair, research suggests. A study of rivers and streams in Scotland and Wales has shown that environmental damage caused by the acidic downpours of the 1970s and 80s is ongoing, despite a massive reduction in industrial emissions.
It may take 30 years until Ph levels in upland waterways and surrounding soils return to normal, researchers from Cardiff University have said.