...Acid Rain – Save the Environment Acid rain, or any other form of precipitation with high nitric and sulfuric acid levels is when the precipitation has a lower pH than natural unpolluted rainwater, 5.5 (National Geographic). Acid rain is the result of combustion of fossil fuels which releases acid chemicals into the air (Wysession, Michael). It is a problem in the world since it effects natural and man-made environments as well as other factors in negative ways. The unpolluted water that rains down on us is always slightly acidic with a pH of around 5.6. This is because the rainwater from the clouds react with the CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) that is in the air. It is in the air due to that we convert the oxygen that we inhale into CO2 inside of our bodies, which we later exhale. This results in a solution called Carbonic Acid. (Wysession, Michael) Water | + | Carbon Dioxide | | Carbonic Acid | H20 | + | CO2 | | H2CO3 | Rain counts as acid rain when it goes below the unpolluted rain pH, 5.6. The acidity of acid rain can be as low as 2.7 on the pH scale depending on the ratio of chemical acids and unpolluted rainwater. However, the usual pH of acid rain is around 4.0 which is more than 10 times more acidic than unpolluted rainwater. (Wysession, Michael) Acid rain can be caused by natural sources such as volcanoes. However, the main cause of acid rain is when the acidic chemicals sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are released into the air by the combustion of...
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...Acid rain is a widespread problem found all over the world. The damaging effects of acid rain are one of the largest contributors to this form of pollution. Acid rain is any precipitation; rain, snow, or fog that contains acids such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. Our society is becoming overwhelmed with great amounts of pollution from cars, factories, and garbage. The tremendous amounts of sulfur dioxide emitted into the air causes high levels of acid in the atmosphere. “Sulfur dioxide is one of the primary components of "acid rain" and it helps keep sunlight out of the atmosphere, which causes the Earth to cool” (Sulfur, 2013). Sulfur dioxide emission contributes to global warming. The acidity of a substances dissolved in water is commonly measured in terms of pH. When this sulphuric acid is absorbed into moisture in the air, poignant rainfalls can be damaging to the external environment. Natural sources, which emit sulfur dioxide, are volcanoes, sea spray, rotting vegetation and plankton. Acid rain is destroying the world’s lakes, air and ecosystem. Acid rain affects every single aspect of the ecosystem. Acid rain is devastating to aquatic life, crops and forests, and human life. People exposed to sulfur dioxide in the air often have reduced lung function. The growth of forestlands also shows the effects of acid rain. Acidic rain damages trees (Godbold & Huttermann, 1994). Many trees show the disease slowly, but when disease and virus attacks they succumb...
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...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...
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...Course Date Acid Rain Introduction Acid rain, also called acid deposition refers to the deposition of wet or dry acidic materials from the atmosphere on the surface of the earth (Hess, Darrel, and McKnight 172). Although in most cases Acid deposition is associated with rainfall, sometimes the acidic pollutants in the atmosphere can fall with hail, snow and sleet. Acid rain occurs when the oxides of various compounds dissolve in water in the atmosphere. One of the compounds supplying acidic oxide include sulfur dioxide, which is usually produced as a result of natural means, for instance volcanic activities, burning of fossil fuel and extractions of metals. Formation of acid rain The major compounds that cause rain are the sulfur dioxide (SO2) and Nitrous Oxides (NOX) (Asimov 96). The production of these compounds result from the combustion of the fossil fuel. The combustion of the fossil fuel leads to the release of the oxide compounds into the atmosphere. Acid rain formation takes place in the atmosphere through chemical processes. One of the chemical processes is the reaction between water vapor, sunlight and oxide compounds such as sulfur dioxide (Hess, Darrel, and McKnight 172). This result in the formation of the acidic substances for instance, sulfuric acid. Also, nitric acid is formed through reaction between water vapor, sunlight and nitrous oxide (NOX) (Isabel 76). The chemical process in the atmosphere, which results in the formation of the acid rain takes hours or...
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...PURPOSE The purpose of my experiment is to determine the effect of acid rain on seed germination. I chose this idea for a project because I have heard that acid rain is becoming a more prominent factor, around the world, due to pollution. I see reports of this in books and websites I've visited, as well as news articles I have read. LITERATURE REVIEW http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/soar/sciproj99/CodySciProj.html The germination test results from glass labeled “Trial 1” (100% water), and “Trial 5” (highest acid content) showed an 11% difference. The more acid contained in the water resulted in less seeds germinating. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15859434 Rice, wheat and rape seeds were treated with simulated acid rain at pH 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 5.0 levels for 7 days in order to understand the effects of acid rain on seed germination of various acid-fast plants. The germination test showed that seed germination was absolutely inhibited at pH 2.0 for three species. Rice and wheat seeds germinated abnormally at pH 2.5. When pH values above 3.0, percentage germination, germination energy, germination index, vigor index of rice, wheat and rape seeds increased in relation with decreased acidity levels. In contrast, the percentage of abnormal germination of rice and wheat decreased. The experiment data about physiological aspect demonstrated that water absorption rate, respiratory rate and storage reserve transformation rate of rice, wheat and rape seeds also increased...
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...differences between climate change and radon, the causes and effects of both, efforts to mitigate these issues, and current events that relate to both climate change and radon. Atmospheric Issues Acid rain, an atmospheric issue, and radon, an indoor air pollutant are both issues that have a damaging effect on the environment and cause health problems for people in general. The population is becoming increasingly concerned about these issues and have begun to take steps to improve the quality of the atmosphere as well as combating indoor air pollutants. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Acid rain is a serious environmental problem that affects large parts of the United States and Canada. Acid rain is particularly damaging to lakes, streams, and forests and the plants and animals that live in these ecosystems.” (EPA, 2012). Acid rain is a mixture of wet and dry deposited material from the atmosphere containing “higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids” (EPA, 2012). Acid rain is a result of both natural sources, such as those found in volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These man-made sources are the results of fossil fuel combustion from automobiles, power plants and other industrial sources. Acid rain can produce severe damage to the environment and the human population. The chemicals found in acid rain are extremely powerful and have been known to cause steel to...
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...Surviving Acid Rain By Rajwinder Munder ENG 1121 Professor Murphy May 5th, 2015 Outline Intro: Thesis Statement: With the increase of pollution of industry, acid rain has become a serious problem in the world today. Main Point: Acid rain has been a threat to the world’s ecosystems and its people, becoming one of the most dangerous forms of pollution today. Body: Articles: 5 year study of rainwater chemistry in a coastal megacity in south china takes place specifically in Shen Zhen and scientists discovered and found out that there was a strong anthropogenic pollution in the rain water. In the eBook Plankton culprit turn clear lakes to jelly it was revealed that acid rain may be causing lakes in eastern Canada to turn to jelly and trouble the fish life which made it hard to fishers to make a living. In the book excerpt “ Countdown Acid”, it was recorded that normal rain also holds very small amounts of acid particles in it, but none that can harm or damage anything. The story “ To build a fire” by Jack London from Literature for composition, London discusses that modern needs for man had turned humans into selfish people taking advantage of nature. The story “Butterflies” by Patricia Grace from Literature for Composition, Grace displays a message that we don’t really know what really happens to animals or nature until we experience it happen. The article “Now or Never” by Bill McKibben from Literature for Composition, McGibben emphasizes that global...
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...maintain the fresh water ecosystem. The human population is continuously growing and as a result the resources available are being used to the point of changing the overall flow of ecosystems. Rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands are an example of freshwater ecosystems. Naturally, these bodies of waters are important for reducing pollution, controlling floods and the homes for aquatic life (National Geographic, n.d.). Since human population is rising any number of current negative uses such as the overuse of fossil fuels has a negative impact on freshwater ecosystems. Acid rain is a result of high amounts of nitric and sulfuric acid released into the air. Emissions from cars and power plants contribute to the rise of the acids released in the air. Acid rain affects the pH balance of freshwaters and depending on the body of water it may not be able to neutralize the acid. Therefore the acid becomes toxic to many aquatic species eventually making the species extinct altogether (Effects of Acid Rain, 2012)....
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...April 15, 2012 Marc Romine Energy Conservation Energy conservation is a simple way to solve many problems but the one we are focusing on today is called acid rain. Acid rain is a devastating effect of energy consumption. The only way to reduce it is to use less natural resources, or energy conservation. Energy consumption and air pollution has become a hot topic recently and is so linked to each other that you cannot have one without the other. One of the worst places for acid rain is China. This is due to their massive consumption of energy sources. The nonrenewable resource they mostly use is coal. Their high usage rate is in direct correlation to their high population. The more people they have the more of a need for coal and other nonrenewable resources. The higher usage of nonrenewable energy resources causes higher amounts of acid rain. If we are not careful we will be as bad if not worse than China. Our energy use increased 40% from 1970 to 2000. They are charted to grow another 40% by year 2020. That is at an even faster rate and we are at 2012 so in eight years we will have used 80% more energy than was used in 1969. That is a scary percentage. Acid rain damages everything from steel buildings to water supplies. One of the many things acid rain destroys is plants. That means it destroys the food we eat by destroying the grass and other flora that animals eat, the animals that eat the flora have less food so they die which means the...
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...help maintain the fresh water ecosystem. The human population is continuously growing and as a result the resources available are being used to the point of changing the overall flow of ecosystems. Rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands are an example of freshwater ecosystems. Naturally, these bodies of waters are important for reducing pollution, controlling floods and the homes for aquatic life (National Geographic, n.d.). Since human population is rising any number of current negative uses such as the overuse of fossil fuels has a negative impact on freshwater ecosystems. Acid rain is a result of high amounts of nitric and sulfuric acid released into the air. Emissions from cars and power plants contribute to the rise of the acids released in the air. Acid rain affects the pH balance of freshwaters and depending on the body of water it may not be able to neutralize the acid. Therefore the acid becomes toxic to many aquatic species eventually making the species extinct altogether (Effects of Acid Rain, 2012). Humans can be affected as well since many...
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...ran when oil/gas prices drop, it is a major contributor to many other issues which I think outweigh this. The fact that it contributes to global temperature and sea level rises as well as can possibly impede the health of residents nearby the fracking rigs makes it dangerous to the world, even though it is regarded as being a safe structure. Personally, I think that the controversy over fracking could be solved by continuing fracking to procure the amount of fossil fuel that is absolutely need while cutting down the amount of emissions released by burning these fossil fuels. This could be done by having countries convert for using vehicles running on oil and gas to using electrically powered vehicles instead. Thus, lowering the amount of negative impact that fracking has on the...
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...elements which in turn has made water and air pollution serious problems that are endangering the lives of people worldwide. Pollution is caused by contaminants being introduced into an environment which have very harmful effects on the environment as a whole. Most of the pollution that ends up in the environment is a result of human actions, but there are some instances were pollution is caused by natural disasters. Pollution can have a very devastating effect on virtually every living organism within any environment that has become contaminated with pollutants. Primary and Secondary Air Pollutants Most forms of air pollutants fall into two major categories which are primary and secondary. Primary air pollutants are those that are emitted directly form a source, this could be the smoke from the exhaust pipe of a car or the gases emitted from the burning of coal (www.greenfacts.org). Secondary air pollutants are those that are not emitted directly but are formed by the interaction of primary pollutants with the atmosphere (www.greenfacts.org). Sulphur dioxide (S02) is a primary air pollutant that occurs most often when coal is burned in thermal energy plants. Sulphur dioxide is one form of air pollution among others that are responsible for smog and acid rain. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an air pollutant that also falls in the primary pollutants category. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is very toxic and is formed by the incomplete combustion of fuel such as...
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...Earth’s atmosphere is a dynamic, complex, yet fragile system. Unfortunately it is not treated as such. Pollutants created in the environment by natural processes and humans have a negative impact on our world. Pollution is not a new concept that just became popular in this century. Over hundreds of years, people have taken notice of pollution and its effect on the quality of life. One of the biggest events being the industrial revolution back in the 1700s, which helped spread pollution around the globe. “Natural processes impacting our atmosphere include volcanoes, biological decay, and dust storms. Plants, trees, and grass release volatile organic compounds such as methane, into the air”. Humans contribute man-made pollutants into the air such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. “We are more concerned with human-made pollutants since we have the ability to control it. The largest source of human-made pollution is the burning of fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and gas, in our homes, factories, and cars”. As these pollutants are released in the atmosphere, they mix with moisture in the air to form acids. It then falls back to earth in the form of rain, referred to as acid rain. Rain is necessary to all living things in our world, but when it becomes acid rain the effects are damaging to so many parts of the environment such as soil, water supplies, plants, animals, humans, and even buildings. It impacts the food chain of animals and humans. ...
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...The Air We Breathe Air pollution is a serious problem around the world and action should be taken to reduce the pollutants put into the atmosphere to have better air quality, reduce acid rain, and put an end to global warming. Air pollution is the contamination of the atmosphere by different types of wastes and an air pollutant is any substance in the air that have have negative effects on humans and the environment. The different types of wastes includes, gases, liquids, and solids, and can all be formed by things such as: burning of fossil fuels, agricultural activities, exhaust from factories, mining operations, and indoor air pollution. Gaseous wastes are produced by combustion and industrial processes. Combustion is the process of burning something, e.g., engines, incinerators, coal-fired electrical generating plants, and natural causes like forest fires. The six major toxins released into the air are: ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, and lead. Ozone is a gas that can be found near the ground and is a major part of smog.Ozone is formed by a reaction when nitrogen oxides and organic compounds mix in sunlight. Ozone near the ground can lead to health problems such as more frequent asthma attacks in people who have asthma and can cause sore throats, coughs, and breathing difficulty. Ozone can also hurt plants and crops. Particulate matter is very small fragments of solid materials or liquid droplets suspended in air. fine particles...
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...vegetation, corrosion of structural materials and negative health effects on wildlife and human occupancy. As with all National Forests in the U.S. the practice of conservation of resources, ensure a sustainable flow of raw materials and maintain the diversity of plant and animal species on the National Forest System lands. Renewable The benefits of extracting renewable energy sources and alternative resources such as biomass, wood and other plant material, along with the lease options of the Shoshone National forest provide viable solutions that allow for the creation of cleaner energy resource, and wilderness designated zoning areas that enhance land protection and prohibit alterations by man to the ecosystem. Less than 10% percent of the total area is utilized for the land lease. The majority of the forest has been reserved for wildlife, plants, animals and the protection of the habitat. The Shoshone National Forest has about 1,300 documented species of plants. Lower elevations often have brush and grass dominated by vegetation while, other forest areas are dominated by various combinations of species (The HRO Case Studies Series, 2006). Non- Renewable The risk of depleting non-renewable resources such as building roads in non-wilderness areas for ease of extracting timber, off-road terrain vehicles, and snowmobiles have become subjects of concern by environmentalist. Environmental concerns such as air pollution and acid rain are directly linked with energy consuption. Combustion...
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