Acid Rain

Acid rain is a great problem in our world. Not only is it harmful to our environment, but it also causes harm to our own race as well. One of the main causes of acid rain is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, gasoline and fuel oils. These fuels send oxides of sulfur, carbon and nitrogen into the air. These oxides combine with moisture in the air to form sulfuric acid, carbonic acid and nitric acid. Therefore, when it rains or snows, these acids are brought to Earth in what is called acid precipitation. Consequently, acid rain damages plants, animals, soil, water, building materials, and it has a negative effect on people as well.

The two most important primary sources of acid rain are sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen. Sulfur is a colorless, pungent gas produced during the combustion of fossil fuels. A variety of industrial processes such as the production of steel and iron and crude oil produce this gas. This gas is also emitted into the atmosphere by natural means. Ten percent of the sulfur in the atmosphere comes from volcanoes, sea spray, plankton and decomposing vegetation. The other gas primarily accountable for the formation of acid rain is nitrogen oxide. The term �oxides of nitrogen’ describes any compound of nitrogen with any amount of oxygen atoms. The only oxides of nitrogen are nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. These gases are produced by firing processes at very high temperatures (vehicle) and chemical industries. There are natural processes such as forest fires, volcanoes and bacterial action in soil that also emit nitrogen oxides. Transportation and industrial combustion also contribute to the emissions of nitrogen oxides. The acidity of acid rain does not only depend on the release levels of these gases but also on the chemical combination sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides interrelated in the atmosphere. However, both gases undergo a few chemical reactions before they become the acids present in acid rain. (Klaassen 245-260)

When Acid Rain falls into water it is mixed in with the normal water and causes the pH of the entire body to increase. Measurements on the pH scale rise greatly; a lake with a pH of 4 is ten times more acidic as a lake with a pH of 5, and a lake with a pH of 3 is 100 times more acidic. After many acid rain falls, the pH of a normal lake can go from 5.8 to 4. Acid Rain has been known to reach an acidity of a pH of 2, ( battery acid has a pH of 1 ) this is a drastic change, as normal rain has an average pH of 5.2. (Acid Rain)

When acid rain falls, the acidic rainwater dissolves the nutrients and helpful materials from the soil. These minerals are then washed away before trees other plants can use them to grow. As a result, soil biology can be seriously damaged by acid rain. Some tropical microbes can quickly consume acids, but other microbes are unable to tolerate low pH levels and are killed. The enzymes of these microbes are denatured, (changed in shape so they no longer function) by the acid. The hydroium ions of acid rain also mobilize toxins and leech away essential nutrients and minerals.The acid rain also helps release toxic substances such as aluminum into the soil. This is due to the fact that metals like this are bound to the soil under normal conditions, but the added dissolving act of hydrogen ions causes rocks and small bound soil particles to break down. When acid precipitation occurs regularly, leaves are likely to lose their waxy protective coat. This loss makes the plant open to any disease. When the leaves are damaged the plant cannot produce adequate food energy for it to survive. When the plant is weak it is defenseless to disease and insects that may kill it. Scientists have noticed that over the years some forests seem to be growing more and more slowly for no obvious reason. After the collection of information on the chemistry and the biology of the forests it has been proven that this is due to acid rain. Other plants can also be damaged by acid rain but the effect on food crops is minimized by the application of fertilizers to replace lost nutrients. In cultivated areas, limestone may also be added to increase the ability of the soil to keep the pH stable, but this tactic is largely unusable in the case of wilderness lands. Acid rain depletes minerals from the soil and then it stunts the growth of plants. (Acid Rain)

Acid rain also affects aquatic organisms. It enters lakes in several ways but the most common route is when it is drained through sewage systems that lead to lakes. The euphoric acid present in acid rain interferes with the fish ability to take in oxygen, salts and nutrients. Acid molecules cause the formation of mucus to form in their gills not allowing them to absorb oxygen well. In addition the low pH level does not allow the calcium levels of the fish to be maintained causing the eggs during reproduction to be weak and brittle. Sometimes when acid