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What Causes Acid Rain?
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What is acid raid?
Acid rain is a type of air pollution that, combined with a
precipitation, falls on earth in the form of rain, fog, mist and so
on. Acid rain has been blamed as the culprit for a variety of
damages like erosion of valuable structures and causing injuries to
vegetation. It has also been pinpointed as one of the main causes of
depletion of marine life and so on.
How it is caused?
The presence of acid in rainwater was first detected by
Robert Angus Smith, in the year 1872. The origin of acid rain
has been traced back to the industrial revolution. Heavily
industrialized areas have been found to have a large
concentration of acid mixed with precipitation. This is
because gases released during industrial processes upset the
natural balance. The main ‘culprits’ are the gases sulphur
dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, ozone and unburnt hydrocarbons. |
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Emissions from industrial operations
like smelting and refining cause the release of sulphur
dioxide and nitrogen oxide into air. Burning of fossil fuels
like coal and oil also cause emission of harmful gases. These
gases combine with water vapor in the clouds to form
sulphuric and nitric acids. So the precipitation that falls on
the ground is highly acidic, having a pH value of about 5.6 or
even lower. A pH scale is used to indicate levels of acidity.
The scale ranges from 0 to 14 and lower numbers indicate high
acidity. In fact, pH values as low as two and three have been
recorded in several areas of eastern US and Western Europe. What it does?
Acid rain stops the growth of plants and defoliates them before
time. Evidence of the damage caused by acid rain has been
found in Germany’s Black Forest, where almost half of the
trees have been damaged by acid rain. Vegetation in the
north-eastern US and eastern Canada have been similarly
affected. In the USA, in 1981, it was found that almost all
fish had disappeared from a lake near New York due to acid
water. This is mainly |
Formation of Acid Rain |
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because acid rain upsets the balance
of rainwater. Structures like the Taj Mahal and many other
famous statues like the Statue of Liberty have showed the negative
effects of acid rain. Acid rain makes the stone weak and reduces the
lifespan of these structures.
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Regions that are exposed to acid rain lose
aluminum from the soil and the dissolved aluminum that flows into
lakes and other water bodies proves harmful for aquatic life.
Similarly, it has a detrimental effect on vegetation also.
Efforts to control acid rain (Solutions)
Governments all over the world have launched strict measures to
control emissions from industries and vehicles to ensure cleaner air
and water. However the chemical reactions that occur in the
atmosphere and result in acid rain are quite complex. So industries
challenge the accuracy of assessments that restrict their
activities. Further studies in this area are required to be able to
support and enforce strict anti-pollution measures. |
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