Acid Rain

Not many things have the ability to kill fish, destroy economies, and deteriorate buildings, but acid rain can do all of that. This lethal precipitation originates from both natural causes and those made by man. It has the potential to destroy ecosystems, including aquatic life and forest life. In addition to harming nature, it can also cause economic problems. However, efforts are being made to minimize the negative effects of acid rain, and they’re working.

Any form of wet or dry deposition from the atmosphere with nitric and sulfuric acid levels higher than normal is considered acid rain. Wet deposition includes, but is not limited to, rain, fog, snow, and mist. If weather conditions in a certain area are wet and acidic chemicals are in the air, the acids will descend towards the ground through wet deposition. On the contrary, areas with dry weather are susceptible to dry deposition; this is when acidic chemicals combine with smoke or dust and fall to the ground. Dry deposited particles adhere to trees, buildings, cars, and other objects. Then, the particles are washed away by rain and result in more acidic runoff (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). All rain is slightly acidic, because carbon dioxide in the air reacts with water to form a carbonic acid. As a result, normal rain has a pH of about 5.6, and any form of precipitation with a pH below that number can be considered acid rain (Chappelka 1).

Acid rain is caused primarily by two gasses: sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides (Lerner and Lerner 2). These gasses are expelled through a plethora of different sources. Humans are largely at fault for releasing these gasses into the air, but some natural causes exist as well. Volcanic eruptions emit large amounts of sulfur d...

... middle of paper ...

...it: Information Plus, 2006. Print.

Gorman, Hugh. Dictionary of American History. Vol. I. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. Print.

Haeuber, Richard. Water: Science and Issues. Ed. E Julius Dasch. Vol. I. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. Print.

Hemminger, Patricia. "Scrubbers." Stapleton, Richard M. Pollution A to Z. Vol. II. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 199-200. Print.

Lerner, K Lee and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. World of Earth Science. Vol. I. Detroit: Gale, 2003.

Print.

Reilly, Kevin Anthony. "Clean Air Act." Stapleton, Richard M. Pollution A to Z. New York:

Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 91-91. Print.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Acid Rain. 8 June 2007. 24 February 2012 .

Web.

USGS. Volcanic Hazards Program. 11 June 2010. 24 February 2012. Web.

.