ACID RAIN

Acid rain is a mixture of deposited material, both wet and dry, coming from the atmosphere containing excessive amount of nitric acid and sulfuric acids. The rain is acidic in nature because of the presence of pollutants coming from the smoke from the cars and industries. Acid rain can occur in form of rain, snow, fog or dry material that settle to earth. The level of Acidity is determined by calculating the pH level in the water drops. Normal rainwater is slightly acidic. The pH level of normal rainwater ranges between 5.3 and 6.0. The normal rainwater is acidic because the carbon dioxide and water react with each other and form carbonic acid. Carbonic acid is a very weak acid. When the pH level of rainwater falls below this range, it becomes acid rain (conserveegergyfuture.com, 2013). Acid rain affects plants directly and decreases the quality of soil and reduced fertility of the soil. The adverse effects of acid rain are severe where there is more concentration of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide (science.opposingviews, 2015). Acid rain has many negative effects, on lakes, streams, wetlands, and other aquatic environments. The primary reason for acid rains is air pollution. Acid rain is caused by large amount of pollutants it can be minimized by conserving energy and reducing pollution. I believe if we do not take preventive measures for acid rains future generation may face severe consequences (environment.nationalgeographic, 2015).
Sulfur and Nitrogen are the two elements that are responsible for the harmful effects of acid rain. Sulfur is found as a trace element in coal and oil. When coal is burned for industrial uses the sulfur from the coal combines with the oxygen in the air to form sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide has no chemical reaction with most of the chemicals found in the atmosphere hence it is in atmosphere for longer period of time and can travel for a very long distance. When Sulfur dioxide comes in contact with ozone layer or hydrogen peroxide, a chemical reaction takes place and Sulfur Dioxide is formed. Sulfur Trioxide is soluble in water. When Sulfur Trioxide is dissolved in water, the solution formed is mild form of Sulfuric acid. Earth’s atmosphere has about 78% of Nitrogen. When heated to the temperatures found in steam boilers and internal combustion engines, it can combine with oxygen from the atmosphere to form nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide. NOx is the sum of nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide in a given parcel of air. NOx is soluble in water and forms a weak form of Nitric and Nitrous Acid. NOx and SO2 occur naturally in atmosphere and are also created by human activities. Volcanoes and sea spray are major natural sources of SO2. Lightning is the most common natural source of NOx. The contribution of Nitrogen and Sulfur by natural phenomenon is very small as compared to human activities. It is not possible to control sulphur and nitrogen from natural sources. Prevention of pollution by human activities can have major impact in reducing acid rains (epa.gov, 2015).
Acid rain affects plants directly. Acid rain degrades the quality of soil and reduced the amount of yields from agriculture. The effects on vegetation and soil are severe in the laces where there is high concentration of Nitrogen and Sulfur in the atmosphere. Acid rain influences both the quality and yield of agricultural products. Acid rain damages all the leafy vegetables and cause blemishes on delicate products such as tomatoes. The production and quality of vegetables that grow underground like potatoes is degraded. The damage caused by the acid rains depends on the strength of the acids present in the rainwater and the number of times the crops get exposed to acid rains. The acid rains do not just damage crops and vegetables externally; they also reduce the nutritional value and reduce the number of minerals present in them (science.opposingviews, 2015). The acidic nature of acid rain leaches plant nutrients out of the soil and can make it less productive for agriculture. If the soil is highly alkaline, that is if the soil contains calcium carbonate or limestone then it can neutralize the acidity present in the acid rainwater and they this type of soil is less affected by acid rains. Agricultural soil has all the minerals that are needed for crops and vegetables; the acid in acid rainwater dissolves those minerals and replaces them with metallic ions with hydrogen. When crops and vegetables are planted in soil where acid rainwater replaced minerals with metallic ions with hydrogen, plants and vegetables cannot absorb essential minerals for their growth and they grow slower with less nutritional value. In severe cases, this lack of minerals can kill the plants (science.opposingviews, 2015).
Acid rain has many adverse ecological effects. Acid rains can disrupt ecological cycle. It impacts lakes, streams, wetlands, and other aquatic environments. The acid in rainwater makes soil to absorb aluminum and when this combination reached rivers and sea makes waters toxic to crayfish, clams, fish, and other aquatic animals (environment.nationalgeographic, 2015). The water animals that are strong can survive the imbalance of minerals in water but the die of hunger as the weaker animals they depend upon for food die off soon. Algae growth is increased by acid rain, and rock scaling microbial and invertebrate herbivores lose habitation and die. Acid rain directly impacts forest ecosystems and their inhabitants. Acid rain also damages forests, especially those at higher elevations (thewaterpage, 2015). Acid rain robs essential nutrients from the soil and releases aluminum in the soil, which makes it hard for trees to take up water and this affects their growth. Acids also harm trees’ leaves. The acid rain affects the leaves of the tree and its ability to survive in cold temperature. It also affects their ability to resist insects and diseases. The pollutants also inhibit trees' ability to reproduce (environment.nationalgeographic, 2015).
Plants and animals aren't the only victims of acid rain. Acid rain is dangerous for human beings also. The Sulfates and nitrates particles present in acid rain can severely damage human respiratory system. When respiratory system is damage, human beings capacity to breathe is reduced and can cause heart problems due to the lack of oxygen supply. People who are more exposed to acid rains suffer form chronic breathing problems like bronchitis and asthma (thewaterpage.com, 2015).
The biggest source of electricity that powers modern life is made from burning fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil. Coal produces SO2 and NOx emissions in large quantity. Sulfur is present in coal as an impurity, and it reacts with air when the coal is burned to form SO2. NOx is produced when any kind of fossil fuel is burned. It is very important to consider the options for reducing the amount of sulfur dioxide production. The emissions can be avoided by using coal that contains less amount of sulfur. Washing coal before burning to remove sulfur impurities can help in reducing sulfur dioxide emissions. A device called “scrubbers” can be used to remove SO2 from the gases leaving the smokestack. Power plants can also switch fuels. For example, burning natural gas creates much less SO2 than burning coal (epa.gov, 2015).
There are other sources of electricity besides fossil fuels. They include nuclear power, hydropower, wind energy, geothermal energy, and solar energy. The governments and people should focus on using other sources of electricity other than fossil fuels (epa.gov, 2015). Acid rainwater penetrates deeply into our ecosystem and changes the chemistry of the soil and water. There are some things that people can do to bring back lakes and streams more quickly. Limestone or lime is highly alkaline in nature and it can be added to acidic lakes to neutralize the acidity. This process is called liming. People have been using this extensively in Norway and Sweden but are not used very often in the United States as Liming is expensive process and it has to be done repeatedly to keep the water from becoming acidic. Liming is just a short time remedy for treating acidity of lakes and rivers (epa.gov, 2015). As individuals, there are number of precautions we can take to avoid acid rains. Individuals should turn off the lights and other appliances that consume electricity when not in use. Using energy efficient appliances can also greatly help in reducing electricity consumption. The Environmental Protection Agency ratings help individuals to know how much electricity an appliance can consume. Insulating houses can also be very effective in minimizing the use of air conditioning systems. Another effective solution is using public transportation service whenever possible. Using public transportation service will minimize the usage and combustion of fossil fuels and thereby reduce the amount of harmful gases in the environment. I believe it is duty of governments and individuals as well to take precautionary measures to reduce harmful gases that cause acid rain. The efforts taken now can help in building healthier and cleaner environment and maintain balance of our eco system.

Works Cited:
Acid Rain - Causes and Effects - Conserve Energy Future. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-acid-rain.php

Does Acid Rain Have an Effect on Agriculture? (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2015, from http://science.opposingviews.com/acid-rain-effect-agriculture-20667.html

Effects of Acid Rain on the Environment - The Water Page. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thewaterpage.com/acid-rain-effects-environment.htm

Acid Rain Facts, Acid Rain Information, Acid Rain Pictures, Acid Rain Effects - National Geographic. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/acid-rain-overview/

Acid Rain: What can you do? (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://www3.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatcanyoudo.html

Acid Rain Effects. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.thewaterpage.com/acid-rain-effects-environment.htm

Reducing Acid Rain. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://www3.epa.gov/acidrain/reducing/