Acid rain
Zachary Tyndall
Mr. Patrick Youell
Science 9A
May 5, 2016
Acid rain is a rain that is more acidic than it should be, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have very bad effects on plants, marine animals and infrastructures (buildings). It can also occur in the form of snow, fog, and tiny bits of dry material that settle to Earth. Rotting vegetation and erupting volcanoes release some chemicals that can cause acid rain, but most acid rain falls because of human activities. The biggest culprit is the burning of fossil fuels by coal-burning power plants, factories, and vehicles.
Acid rain has many ecological effects, but none is greater than its impact on lakes, streams, rivers and other water environments. Acid rain makes waters acidic and causes it to absorb the aluminum that is from soil which goes into lakes and streams... This combination makes waters too acidic for the aquatic animals to live. Acid rain also damages forests, especially those at with higher trees. It takes the essential nutrition from the soil and releases aluminum into the soil, which makes it hard for trees to register water. Leaves and needles are also harmed by acids.
Acid rain damages the layer on the leaves of trees. This makes it more difficult for trees to absorb the minerals they need for healthy growth and they may die.
Figure 1: Effect of acid rains on trees.
Acid rain also has a very big effect on buildings, monuments, statues… It ruins them by stripping away the stone that was used to make those structures. Limestone and marble were common materials that were used to make buildings and outside statues. But to the surprise of many people, the acid could turn the calcium carbonate molecules that made up the stone materials into calcium sulfate molecules. Because calcium sulfate can be dissolved by water, acid rain would eventually completely dissolve the outsides of buildings and statues.
Figure 2: The effect of acid rain on statues.
The only way to fight acid rain is by lowering the amount of the pollution that causes it. This means burning fewer fossil fuels. Many governments have tried to cut the unnecessary burning of fossil fuels by promoting alternative fuel sources. These efforts have been met with mixed results. But even if acid rain could be stopped today, it would still take a lot of time for it to be gone completely. Us people can also help prevent acid rain by conserving energy. The less electricity people use in their, the fewer energie will be used in the power plants . Vehicles are also major fossil fuel users, so we can reduce the amount of energy spent by using the public transport, walking… even electrical cars are becoming much more affordable so that is another option.
In conclusion acid rains are a big problem in the whole world and it doesn't only affect our surroundings, but it affects us too. Every single person can make a difference, and we should all be aware of the danger that they cause to Earth.
Sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment