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Acid Rain. The Effects of Acid Rain on Lakes and Trees Acid rain has long been
argued by society's most formidable minds. It indirectly ...
The Effects Of Acid Rain On Lakes And Trees. The Effects of Acid Rain on Lakes and
Trees Acid rain has long been argued by society's most formidable minds. ...
Acid Rain Is Pollution. Acid rain ... Environmental damage from acid rain has been
reported in northern Europe and North America. High levels ...
Acid rain is pollution. Acid rain ... Environmental damage from acid rain has been
reported in northern Europe and North America. High levels ...
Acid Rain. ... This kind of pollution may also be suspended in fog or deposited in a
dry form. Acid rain is most common in North America and Europe. ...
Submitted by oppapers on April 29, 2002
Category: Science
Words: 1912 | Pages: 8
Views: 888
Popularity Rank: 7,918
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Normal rainfall is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolves in the raindrops to produce hydrogen ions. Yet, normal rainfall is not considered acid rain. Acid rain is a form of air pollution in which airborne acids produced by electric utility plants and other sources fall to Earth in distant regions. The corrosive nature of acid rain causes widespread damage to the environment. The problem begins with the production of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and oil, and from certain kinds of manufacturing. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water and other chemicals in the air to form sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and other pollutants. These acid pollutants reach high into the atmosphere, travel with the wind for hundreds of miles, and eventually return to the ground by way of rain, snow, or fog, and as invisible "dry" forms. Damage from acid rain has been widespread in eastern North America and throughout Europe, and in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. Acid rain leaches nutrients from soils, slows the growth of trees, and makes lakes uninhabitable for fish and other wildlife. In cities, acid pollutants corrode almost everything they touch, accelerating natural wear and tear on structures such as buildings and statues. Acids combine with other chemicals to form urban smog, which attacks the lungs, causing illness and premature deaths.
The process that leads to acid rain begins with the burning of fossil fuels. Burning, or combustion, is a chemical reaction in which oxygen from the air combines with carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and other elements in the substance being burned. The new compounds formed are gases called oxides. When sulfur and nitrogen are present in the fuel, their reaction that occurs with oxygen yields sulfur dioxide and various nitrogen oxide compounds. In the United States, 70 percent of sulfur dioxide pollution comes from power plants, especially...
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