Acid Rain

ABSTRACT

This report involves a well description on acid rain as well as a focus on acid rain in eastern Canada. This report contains a very helpful basic background on acid rain as well as a questionnaire. It involves an annual report on the Federal-Provincial Agreements, sulphur dioxide emissions in the seven most eastern provinces, trends in acid deposition in the Atlantic provinces from 1980-1994, as well as acid precipitation in Kejimkujik, Nova Scotia. It also includes data tables, graphs and interesting facts concerning acid rain.

INTRODUCTION

This report is on acid rain and identifies the harmful effect it has on almost everything such as aquatic ecosystems, forests, farming, and even human health. It shows the sulphur dioxide emissions in the seven most eastern provinces along with their limits and how much sulphur dioxide they emitted in 1980, 1990, 1994, 1995, and 1996. It also contains sulphur emissions from major sources from four Canadian provinces as well as sulphur dioxide emissions from electric power generators in three Canadian provinces. There are also some interesting questions and answers and facts are included also.

This information was organized from various websites. It also contains information from a newspaper article about a new monitoring site for acid rain in Irish Cove located in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

ACID RAIN

The atmosphere, unpolluted, is the means of life on earth. It is a thin layer of gases which surrounds our planet. It is known that without the atmosphere our planet would be inhabitable, but we continue to put numerous amounts of toxic waste into it. The burning of fossils fuels, produces gases that cause acid rain. Acid rain is harmful to forests, lakes, rivers, and any wildlife that is located in these areas. High standards of living, which developed countries are accustomed to, depends upon fossil fuels to withhold these standards. Therefore, they cause the pollutants that cause acid rain.

THE MEANING OF ACID RAIN

Acid rain comes in all forms of precipitation. Besides rain, it can be mist, snow, and dry deposition. Pollutants deposited on the environment before they are absorbed by the moisture in the atmosphere is called dry deposition.

MEASURING ACIDITY

In measuring acid rain, the pH scale is used. This scale measures the acidity of acid rain. A measurement of seven is neutral, less than seven is acid...

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...mall car (driver only), 50 kilometers in a bus with 40 passengers and 55 kilometers in a train with 300 passengers.

CONCLUSION

We have looked at acid rain in various forms and how it contributes to be very harmful and destructive. Some action has been taken to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions in the seven most eastern provinces that is a first step in the right direction. There are other ways to reduce the amount of sulphur dioxide getting into the atmosphere such as, sources of coal and oil naturally low in sulphur can be used. Sulphur can be removed before the fuel is burnt. Smoke can be washed with a slurry of lime. Everyone can do something to reduce pollution. We can save energy by not wasting hot water, turning off lights when they are not needed, reducing central heating thermostat by a couple of degrees, using cars when it is really necessary, taking cans, paper and bottles for recycling, making sure washing machines are used only when there is a full load.

If we continue to ignore acid rain as a series problem and do nothing about it, as a result more fish well die, more trees will die, water will become contaminated, it will affect animal life, as well as human health.