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acid rain impacts on environment
effect of acid rain on aquatic ecosystem
harmful effects of acid rain on aquatic environment, atmosphere and man
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Acid rain In some countries acid rain is a big deal. It can harm humans, wildlife, and our natural resources. Most people wont even know when acid rain occurs, it looks feels, and tastes like regular rain. Walking and swimming in acid rain is no more harmful than walking or swimming in clean water. The thing that is harmful about acid rain is the chemicals it produces. Acid rain does sound like something you would hear of in a movie, but, no it is not pure acid, it is just regular rain that has a few chemicals in it. The big concern that scientist and people have about acid rain are, what causes it and how harmful is it? The term acid rain was established in 1872 by Robert Angus Smith. He created this name when he observed how acid precipitation could damage plants and materials. He however never observed acid rain that fell from the sky. The first time acid rain was observed was in the mid 19th century, when people started to notice that forests that were downwind of large cities showed corrosion. In the 1980’s the U.S. congress passed an Acid Deposition Act. This act started a 1...
This silent killer is destroying these beautiful lakes and their surrounding watersheds. Acid rain has an adverse effect on the lakes, and their surrounding watersheds, of the Adirondacks in New York State.Acid rain is defined as chemically polluted rainfall. It's causes are: coal burning plants, industrial factories, smelters, and car emissions. It's formed by water molecules combining with the sulfur dioxide emitted by the burning of coal and with nitrogen oxide from auto emissions.
In conclusion, “Acid Rain: Scourge from the Skies” was effective in proving how severe acid rain is and can be. Robert Collins wrote informatively about a notable subject what anyone can comprehend and he used many commendable writing devices which all added to the effectiveness of the essay.
Acid rain has been proven to have damage forests, fresh waters and soils, killing insect and aquatic life-forms. It also causes damage to buildings and impacts on human health. Many people do not know what acid rain actually is. Acid rain is any form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, low pH levels, higher than normal amounts of sulfuric and nitric acid, occurs naturally and from man made sources. Forms when gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals (what is acid rain?). The only water that will not have some amount of acidity is pure water. Pure water has a pH of 7 which is neutral; regular, unpolluted rain water has a pH of around 5.6. The acidity in rain water comes from the presence of Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide, and Sulfur Dioxide. CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid. Nitrogen and water react during lightning storms, forming Nitric Oxide. NO is then oxidized to form N02. The NO2 reacts with water to form nitric acid. Due to this, the pH is lowered to be slightly acidic (Acid Rain). Acid rain can occur naturally in the environment, but the problem occurs when human interaction is the cause of the acidic levels.
The outcomes due to acid rain is most obvious in aquatic habitats. As the acidity in lakes increase, the water becomes clearer and the lives of fish and other water animals decrease. The acidity of the water does not just affect species directly, it also causes toxic substances like aluminum to be released into the water from the soil, harming fish and other aquatic animals. Lakes, rivers and marshes each have their own fragile ecosystem with many different species of plants and animals all depending on one another to survive. If a species of fish disappears, the animals which feed on it will gradually disappear too. If the extinct fish used to feed on a particular species of large insect, that insect population will start to grow, this in turn will affect the smaller insects or plankton on which the larger insect
When there is a lage amount of acid rain that falls in an area over a period of time, it can hurt the environment for all of the creatures living there. Acid rain can make a lake acidic which will most likely kill off a majority of the animals living in that lake.(McCormick 16) This happens all over the world. Michael Hopkin a reporter, and the author of “Acid rain still hurting Canada” states that, “Lakes and waterways in North America are struggling to recover from the effects of acid rain, despite reduced emissions of the pollutants that cause it. Without further cuts, it could be millennia before the worst-affected sites recover, say environmentalists.” It can also kill the animals that depend on the lake for food. When a food source that animals in an area dependon to survive gets diminished or even eliminated altogether. The animals that depended on it will either die off which will cause an even bigger problem for that area 's ecosystem, or they will need to find a new food source.If the new food that the animal found is already a food source for another animal then that causes competition for food, this may reduce the numbers of one or maybe even both animals. This all can come about because of acid rain and what it can do to the environment. On the EPA student site they have an article that shows how acid rain can affect an ecosystem 's food web. “This process continues up the entire food web. So,
Formed high in the clouds where sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides combine with oxygen and water, acid rain has a devastating ability to kill off aquatic systems, vegetation, animals, etc. The definition of acid rain is the deposition of acidic components in rain, fog, snow, and sleet. Regular rain has a pH that is slightly acidic at 5.6, but what makes one worry are the places like Washington, D.C., which possesses rain readings of 4.2 to 4.4 on the pH scale. Acid rain is mainly composed of Sulfuric Oxide (SO2) and Nitrous Oxide, which are common air pollutants from big industries, 70% of which are electric utility plants. If one views the amount pH levels of various areas around the nation it is easy to see that there is a problem, especially when a 4.0 pH level can drive many fish to die.
Some people think that acid rain can burn skin if it lands on them. This however, does not happen. Acid rain can not burn skin, it still can causes damage to plants, animals, and even structures. Acid rain occurs naturally without human interference, but since humans started to make objects that contribute to the creation of acid rain, it happens more frequently than if humans would not be involved. People not only raised the amount of acid rain that falls, they can also be the ones to bring the amount back down to reasonable levels. In order to help, people must first understand what acid rain is.
There are different negative affects of acid deposition to different environments on the earth. In soils where a possible buffer of basic material isn’t as great, plant nutrients are often lost, the germination of seeds and the growth of young seedlings are hurt, and plants may become over-fertilized by nitrogen. The plants in this instance often experience reduction in growth rates, flowering ability, and overall yield. This makes the plants more vulnerable to disease, insects, drought, and frost. Trees are also affected by acid deposition.
Acid Rain – Acid rains again not only affect terrestrial life but also affect marine life and mainly the Top Layer Organisms. Such as Fishes crabs and turtles. They increase the Sulphur content in the water which leads to casualties worse than that of oil leaks. Though there are not many Acid rain reports over the Oceans and seas. In 2013 due to an acid rain near the cost of Luanda in Angola there was a massive loss of harvest and Marine life. Approx. 3000 fishes were found floating after the rain
It is particularly damaging to lakes, streams, forests, and the creatures that inhabit these ecosystems (EPA). The primary cause of acid rain is the oxidation of sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon compounds (Goyer). Acid rain is not only harmful to nature, but also to humans in a direct way, it accelerates the decay of building materials, including monuments or historic buildings. Acid rain is also harmful to human health, While acid rain cannot burn skin, it is linked to several indirect health effects (Boumis). Studies performed by scholars such as Dr. Goyer 's "Human Health Effects of Acid Rain," have shown that people with bronchial afflictions or asthmatic tendencies are more prone to episodes of bronchial discomfort or inflammation when exposed to the chemicals present in acid rain
"Effects of Acid Rain - Human Health." Acid Rain . US EPA, 12 04 2012. Web. 11 Feb 2014. .
Acid rain is relevant in today’s society more than ever because ever since the Industrial Revolution we are burning fuel that contain nitrogen and sulphur compounds. Nature produces some nitrogen dioxide and some sulphur dioxide but that does not compare to how much power stations, motor vehicles and blast furnaces produce. The acid rain is killing off wildlife, corroding buildings and reacting with nutrients in the soil. The acid rain can get into our waterways and poison the water, we can also breathe it in and the acid would irritate our upper respiratory tract. Our environment is degrading and acid rain is a big catalyst.
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.
The different gaseous pollutants, like nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide will react with water droplets formed in clouds which will produce sulphuric and nitric acid. When it starts to rain, the clouds will release acidic water droplets. Luckily, the water droplets are weak in acidity, similar to lemon juice. Acid rain cannot burn us like strong acids do, they can only irritate the skin. Even though, acid rain cannot hurt us health wise, we must be aware of what it does to our environment. According to Washington University, acid rain effects bigger bodies of waters like lakes and ponds, therefore the living organisms like fish end up dying. Forests are also effected when acid rain reaches the soil which allow the trees to grow healthy and strong. The material of buildings can also erode at a faster rate, especially if buildings or landmarks are made of materials like limestone and sandstone. Acid rain exists purely because of the air pollutants that exist. Therefore, it is important to find a way to reduce pollutants to better improve our air quality (What Is Acid
As nations continue to develop and populations continue to soar, the demand for energy and food has grown exponentially. Energy and food production, however, produces various types of pollution that have numerous undesirable effects on our environment. A large portion of these pollutants are released into the atmosphere from factories worldwide. When considering all of the consequences of modern day pollution, acid rain is undoubtedly one of the major concerns. Because acid rain is capable of harming a wide range of both living and nonliving things, studying its various effects and the corresponding mechanisms can yield pertinent information, which can be used to combat its effects.