Noah Meine
Science 9E
Mr.Youell
March 27th, 2015
Acid Rain
In an
article published by National
Geographic, acid rain is described as a general term for any
form of deposition (deposited material) or precipitation which has been made acidic
by pollutants and chemicals in the air. Moreover,
acidity, or the state of a substance being acidic is measured using a pH scale.
On a pH scale, substances that measure less than 7 are described as being
acidic.
EPA.gov,
goes on to write that the two types of acidic depositions which compose the
term “acid rain” are made up of “wet” and “dry” depositions. Wet depositions refer to acidic rain, fog,
snow, and sleet. Dry depositions are when gases and solid particles become
acidic.
 |
Figure 1: Diagram showing how acidic pollutants/compounds
are formed.
Source: http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what/index.html
|
Acid rain is a natural phenomenon, caused by chemical reactions which
include various compounds like sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen
oxides (NOx) which are released into the air. These compounds then
travel into the atmosphere where they react with water vapor, oxygen, and other
chemicals to create acidic pollutants, otherwise known as acidic compounds (see
Figure 1).
These acidic pollutants/compounds
are commonly referred to as acid rain. The two chemical compounds, sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxides, react with vapor easily and are carried long
distances in the atmosphere where they create different forms of acidic depositions.
In greater depth there
are two main causes for the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into
the atmosphere. The first is by natural cause, such as a volcanic activity or decomposing
vegetation. The second, and far more prevalent cause is mainly a byproduct of
human activity, such
 |
Figure 2: Coal-fired power plants producing massive amounts
of harmful gases
|
The effects of acid rain are various. Because of
its nature, it poses a very serious problem. There are several crucial aspects
of acid depositions to consider, which concern both natural and man-made systems.
As physics.ohio-state.edu
puts it, the most noticeably effected settings are aquatic environments, as
acid rain falls directly into them. To make matters worse for aquatic settings,
both wet and dry depositions which came from forests, fields, and roads will
eventually run off into lakes, rivers, and streams. Over time, larger bodies of water will
accrue acid depositions which will lower the overall pH of the body of water. Furthermore,
geography.about.com
explained that it is estimated that “around 50,000 lakes in the United States
and Canada have a pH below normal (about 5.3 for water). Several hundred of
these have a pH too low to support any aquatic life”.
 |
Figure 3: Image showing the effects of acid deposition on
forests.
Source: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/
global-warming/acid-rain-overview/
|
Acid rain also impacts forests. When acid rain falls
on trees, it can have numerous harmful effects, such as the loss of leaves and
damaged bark (see figure 3). Thus, trees and the entire ecosystem of a forest
become susceptible to storms, insects, diseases, and cold weather. In addition,
forests are also effected when acid rain falls into soil. This in turn leads to
the acidification of soil. When soil becomes acidified, it is robbed of its nutrients
and microorganisms in the soil are killed, once again disrupting the entire ecosystem.
Lastly,
acid depositions have a significant effect on cultural settings as well. As
these acidic depositions fall on buildings, monuments, and sculptures the acid
reacts with the minerals in the stone and ultimately will wash away and corrode
them. After a certain point, this can lead to property and civil damage.
So, what is being done to combat acid rain and its
adverse effects? Well numerous steps are being taken to reduce sulfur dioxide
and nitrogen oxide emissions. The United
States Environmental Protection Agency has placed a law in action which
limits the amount of sulfur dioxide, power plants can release into the air.
However, as it is unlikely that all factories will put the production of
acid rain-causing gases into a state of cessation, it is important to note that
educating people on acid deposition’s causes/effects, cleaning up smokestacks
and exhausts pipes, and looking for alternate energy sources which do not
produce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are all viable remedies for lessening
the acidic compounds produced in the atmosphere.
In
conclusion, it is extremely important that the acidic depositions in the
atmosphere be lessened in a worldwide effort to sustain natural habitats and ecosystems,
in addition to reducing the damage caused to man-made sites.
Works Cited:
http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/beingdone.html
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.