Acid precipitation
“Acid precipitation is very noxious to the environment and to the living organisms.” Anywhere you can find this statement but the question is “What people should do to avoid its origination?” For most scientists it had been an immense issue last few years. Its origination is always linked with human activities such as industrial activities. Rather than thinking of abolishing industrial activities, we should try to reduce them.
In the first place “What is acid precipitation?” Acid rain is a result of air pollution which is caused by noxious chemicals. It is not just caused by steam which escapes through exhaust pipes of cars; it is caused by millions of invisible particles of gases that come from power stations and factories. Some of these tiny particles (nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide) react with natural water droplets in clouds and form sulphuric and nitric acids. The rain falls to the ground and it is known as acid rain. The reason it is called acidic is that it has a Ph level of less than 7. Relative acidity or alkalinity of a substance is measured in ph scale which has numbers from 0-14. If a substance has a ph level of 0-7 it is known as acidic and if it has a ph level of 7-14 it is known as a basic substance. Mostly acid rain has a ph level of 5or6 which is not very acidic because some acids that have a ph level of 2-3 can severely burn your skin, but acid rain doesn’t burn your skin. So if it doesn’t harm us why would we avoid it?
In the second place “What are the effects of the acid rain that cause harm to the environment?” Acid rain is carried over enormous distances such as from one continent into the other one. It can also be far from its pollution source that can be any industry or power station but it still harms soil, forests; erodes famous buildings and statues; kills the water animals. In some countries the water system animals are entirely wiped out with their preys and predators. When the water system is acidic it is clearer and it is almost impossible for scientists to consider it as contaminated.” Some species of plant and animal are better able to survive in acidic water than others. Freshwater shrimps, snails, mussels are the most quickly affected by acidification followed by fish such as minnows, salmon and roach.” These species survive depending on each other because of the food chain, and when one kind of fish completely declines other species that prey on it will eventually disappear. Forests suffer from acid precipitation too because acid precipitation slows down the process of their growth, and eventually trees begin to die or get a disease. Acid precipitation may wash away necessary nutrients or minerals from soil that contributes to its growth; releases noxious substances such as aluminum into the soil; washes away the upper waxed layer of leaves which is essential for photosynthesis process. Buildings don’t begin to erode as acid rain falls; erosion always occurs but acid rain makes the process quicker than it was. Some statues made of limestone or sandstone gets eroded faster.
Lastly, the ways of reducing the harm of acid precipitation. Burning fossil fuels is the cheapest way to produce electricity but produces so much pollution, so we should find a way of getting electricity cheaper than burning fossil fuels.” Governments need to spend more money on pollution control even if it does mean an increase in the price of electricity.” Government should invest money for researching new ways of producing energy. “Sulphur can also be 'washed' out of smoke by spraying a mixture of water and powdered limestone into the smokestack.”
There are simpler ways of reducing acid precipitation such as walking; cycling instead of using an automobile and/or government should supply more public transportation to encourage people to take the bus instead of driving. Walking is not just beneficial to the environment it is extremely beneficial to your health. In many ways, human activities are tightly linked with the surrounding environment.