In addition, this study aimed to quantify the impacts of acid discharge on phytoplankton communities. Despite the results being inconclusive, it is recommended that an understanding of these impacts be determined because of the importance of these primary producers in ecosystem structure. Finally, a number of new techniques for determining total actual acidity within acid sulfate soil sediments were tested. Gross over estimates of actual acidity were evident from these new methods, especially for the unoxidised sediments. Problems resulted from the over extraction of humic acid.
Further research is required in order to improve the quantification of total actual acidity.