Fish Acid Rain

Have you ever wondered about the lack of fish in lakes and streams? Or maybe you wondered about the paint peeling off of a brand new motorcycle after it was sitting out in the rain. These effects are often caused by acid rain. Acid rain poses dangers to the environment, animals, and more. Acid rain is a form of acid deposition, and there are many types of acid deposition. Deposition is the process in which a gas turns into a solid matter. Types of wet acid deposition, which involves gases turning into liquids, include acid rain, sleet, snow, fog, and haze. Forms of dry acid deposition include acid gas and dust. Scientists and others use a measure called pH to find the relative acidity of a liquid. If a liquid has a low pH level, it is

The study investigated the effects in over 1,000 lakes larger than 10 acres, and in thousands of miles of streams. Acid rain was declared the cause of the acidity in 75 percent of the acidic lakes and about 50 percent of the acidic streams. (Source) When the water in a surface water is acidic, the fish population is effected in different ways. It can kill individual fish, or even completely eliminate a fish species. This leads to decreased biodiversity in lakes and streams that suffer from chronic acidity. Some plants and animals can tolerate acidic waters more than others, but even the ones who tolerate it are affected by the water changes. The plants and animals in an ecosystem are interdependent. If a species dies out from a waterbody, all of the others that feed on that species must search elsewhere for food. Generally, the younger fish are the most sensitive and if they do not die, they still may experience chronic stress, which leads to a lower body weight, and a smaller size. Acidic rain flows through the soil in a watershed, and aluminum is released from the soil into lakes and streams. The combination of the low pH, and the aluminum levels can be toxic to fish. Nitrogen specifically creates blooms of algae, both toxic and non-toxic. Nitrogen levels in water also lead to the loss of sea grass beds, and coral reefs. Episodic acidification occurs when we experience heavy downpours or melting snow. The precipitation can decrease the pH levels and leads to many fish deaths. The human population is affected because there is not an availability of seafood, and we are at risk for eating contaminated fish. Fishermen may lose their jobs or experience an economic crisis from acid