Acid rain is any form of precipitation with high levels of nitric and sulphuric acid. It is one of the consequences of air pollution. While normal water is slightly acidic, with a pH of 5.6, acid rain generally has a pH between 4.2 and 4.4. It can also occur in the form of snow, fog, and tiny bits of dry material that settle on Earth.
How is acid rain formed?
Acid rain occurs when emissions from factories, cars, or heating boilers contact with water in the atmosphere. These emissions contain nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and sulfur trioxide. When these air pollutants are mixed with water, they become nitric acid, sulphuric acid, and sulfurous acid. These acidic components travel hundreds of miles with the help of wind. Once acid rain reaches Earth, it enters water systems and sinks into the soil.
While human activities produce most acid rain, rotting vegetation and erupting volcanoes also release certain chemicals that can cause acid rain. Factories, industries, mobiles, and coal-burning power plants are the biggest sources.
Effects of acid rain on:
Aquatic life:
When acid rain flows through the soil, it can leach aluminum from soil clay particles and flow into lakes and streams. The more acid is introduced to the ecosystem, the more aluminum is released. While some plants and animals can tolerate acidic waters and some amounts of aluminum, others are more acid-sensitive. Adults are less sensitive to these acidic conditions than the younger ones. Most fishes cannot hatch eggs at a pH of 5. Some adults may even die at a lower pH. For example, frogs have a critical pH of around 4, but the mayflies they eat are more sensitive and may not survive a pH below 5.5.
Plants and trees:
We know that acid rain leaches aluminum from the soil. This aluminum is also harmful to plants. Acid rain deprives plants and trees of the minerals and nutrients from the soil that are crucial for their growth. Acidic fogs and clouds also strip nutrients from trees at high altitudes, leaving them with brown or dead leaves and needles. These trees are then less likely to absorb sunlight, which makes them weak and less able to withstand freezing temperatures.
Health problems:
It can also take the form of inhalable fog and acid precipitation, which can cause health problems in people, such as eye irritation and asthma. It can also cause respiratory problems like pneumonia and bronchitis and eventually lead to permanent lung damage.
Buildings made of marble and limestone:
When acid rains react with the calcite in marble and limestone, the calcite dissolves. In exposed areas of buildings and statues, we see roughened surfaces, removal of material, and loss of carved details. Sheltered parts are coated with a black crust. When these peel off, they reveal the crumbled stone beneath them. The black crust mainly comprises gypsum. Gypsum is usually washed away. It only remains on protected surfaces that are not directly washed by rain.
Ways to prevent Acid rain pollution
Decrease energy consumption:
Turn off the lights when not in use
Shut off electrical appliances completely when not in use
Alternative modes of transport:
Use electric vehicles
By using public transport, bikes or carpools, we can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels
Walk to travel short distances
Stop the use of non-renewable fuels:
Use renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind and water energy
Reduce the usage of coal and other fossil fuels in factories
Reference List
Activesustainability.com. (2019). What is acid rain and how is it formed? [online] Available at: https://www.activesustainability.com/climate-change/what-is-acid-rain/?_adin=11734293023.
HowStuffWorks.com Contributors (2021). How to Prevent Acid Rain Pollution. [online] HowStuffWorks. Available at: https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/repair/how-to-prevent-acid-rain-pollution.htm.
Nunez, C. (2019). Acid rain, explained. [online] Environment. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/acid-rain.
US EPA. (2016). Effects of Acid Rain | US EPA. [online] Available at: https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects-acid-rain.
Usgs.gov. (2016). How does acid precipitation affect marble and limestone buildings? | U.S. Geological Survey. [online] Available at: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-does-acid-precipitation-affect-marble-and-limestone-buildings.
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