ACID RAIN
ARTICLE #1 Impacts of Acid Rain
There are many forms of acid rain that are seen around the world. In parts of the world
where there is wet weather, there is acid rain, acid snow, and acid fog. In parts of the world
where there is dry weather, there is acid gas and acid dust. All of the lakes and streams in
the world are normally slightly acidic. Heavy rainstorms or melting snow can cause the
acidity in lakes and in streams to increase.
What effect does acid rain have on sea life?
Acid rain is very harmful to the environment. Acid rain damages everything over a period of time because
it makes the living things in the environment die. Acid rain affects the life in the water as well as the life
on land. It is almost worse in water than on land because the fish that are in the water need the water to
breathe. When the water gets polluted, then the fish get sick and end up dying.
All rainwater contains some level of acidity. Acidity is measured by pH, which stands for potential of
hydrogen. The pH scale measures the amount of acid in a substance. PH is measured on a scale from 0-14,
with 7 being neutral. The lower the number is on the pH scale, the more acidic that substance is. Normal
rainwater has a pH of 5.6. When the pH level of rainwater goes below 5.6, it is considered acid rain.
All of the sea life will die when the water that they swim in gets to be too acidic. For example, all fish will
die when the water goes below a pH of 4.5. Most of the frogs and insects that live around the water will
also die when the water reaches a pH of 4.5. With a pH of 5.5, all of the bottom-dwelling bacterial
decomposers, animals that eat the remains of the food that other animals don’t want, will begin to die.
When these decomposers die, they leave the un-decomposed food on the bottom of the water. This
pollutes the water by making the water dirty for all of the fish to swim in. All fresh water shrimp die when
there gets to be a pH of 6.0. Aquatic plants will grow the best when the water is a pH between 7.0 and 9.2.
If acid rain gets to be more of a problem, then all of the sea life will eventually be gone.
Some of the lakes that were once acidic are recovering, but many more are not recovering. Of the 202
lakes that were chosen to be studied in the early 1980s; only 33% of them have become less acidic.
What effect does acid rain have on the forests of the world?
Trees are also harmed by acid rain. In Germany, the forests are believed
to be dying because acid rain is harming them. Scientists say that acid
rain damages the waxy outer coating that protects
the leaves. When this happens, it allows the acid to seep into the tree.
Instead of water changing from a liquid to a gas inside the leaves, gas is
taking the place of the water. This prevents the plant from taking in
carbon dioxide to perform photosynthesis, and the plant will eventually
die.
Acid rain, acid fog, and acid vapor also damage forests by
damaging the surface of the leaves and needles. This makes it harder for the trees to withstand the cold
and will cause the tree to die. Acid rain also harms the soil that the trees are growing in by taking most of
the valuable nutrients away from the soil. Acid rain also leaves a lot of aluminum in the soil, which can be
harmful to the trees that grow there.
The atmosphere deposits a lot of toxic metals into the forests because acid rain contains metal. Some of
these metals are lead, zinc, copper, chromium, and aluminum. When there is acid rain, the rain releases
these metals. This is believed to stunt the growth of many trees and plants. This also stunts the growth of
mosses, algae, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and fungi that are needed to help the forest grow. Forests need
these because they eat the harmful things that will kill the trees, such as bad bacteria. Acid rain hurts
trees because they cannot grow any more.
What effect does acid rain have on the air, us, and our health?
Acid rain affects us in many different ways. One major way is our health. Breathing and lung problems in
children and adults who have asthma and in children have been linked to acid air pollution. Everything
that we eat, drink, and breathe has at one time come in contact with acid deposits. This could threaten
our health by making us become sick. The following health problems occur each year in the U.S. and
Canada due to acid rain:
550 premature deaths
1,520 emergency room visits
210,070 asthma symptom days
As you see, if acid rain became a little less of a problem, then there would be many health problems that
could be avoided.
What can acid rain do to non-living things?
Acid rain can also damage non-living things, such as buildings and statues. It can decay building materials
and paints. Worst of all, it can damage non-replaceable buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of
our nation’s memories that we want to last for a very long time.
ARTICLE #2 What Causes Acid Rain?
Acid rain is mainly caused by these substances that are being released into the air:
Carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide is released by burning coal, oil, and natural gas. If you inhale carbon
dioxide, then since it is toxic, it can cause you to have to breathe more than usual, unconsciousness,
and other serious health problems.
Carbon monoxide: Carbon monoxide is released by burning gasoline, oil, and wood. When carbon
monoxide enters your body, it goes into the bloodstream. When this happens, it will slow down the
delivery of oxygen to the rest of the body, causing dizziness, headaches, and fatigue.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): CFCs are the chemicals that are used in industry, refrigeration, air
conditioning systems, and consumer products. Whenever CFCs are released into the air, they reduce the
stratospheric ozone layer. The stratospheric ozone layer protects Earth’s surface from the harmful rays
of the sun.
Hazardous air pollutants (HAPS): HAPS are released into the air by sources such as chemical plants, dry
cleaners, printing plants, and motor vehicles (cars, trucks, buses, and planes). HAPS can cause serious
health problems like cancer, birth defects, nervous system problems, and deaths that are all due to
people accidentally letting them go into the air.
Lead: Lead is released by house and car paint as well as the manufacturing of lead batteries, fishing
lures, certain parts of bullets, some ceramic ware, water pipes, and fixtures. In young children, lead can
cause nervous system damage and learning problems.
Nitrogen oxides: Nitrogen Oxides are released into the air by burning fuels such as gasoline and coal.
When nitrogen oxides combine with VOCs, they can cause breathing difficulty in people who have
asthma, coughs in children, and general illness in your respiratory system.
Ozone: Ozone is released by motor vehicles, industries, burning coal, gasoline, and other fossil fuels,
and in the chemicals that are in hairspray and paints. When ozone is close to the ground (ground level
ozone) it can cause chest pain, irritated respiratory tract, or persistent cough, can make you unable to
take deep breaths, and can make you more likely to get lung infections.
Particulate matter (PM): PM, little particles of pollution, is released by cars, trucks, and buses that are
burning diesel fuel, fertilizers, pesticides, road construction, steel making, mining, and turning on fire
places and wood stoves. When PMs mix with air particles and get breathed in by something, they get
stuck in the lung tissue. There they can cause increased respiratory disease and lung damage.
Sulfur dioxides: Sulfur dioxides are released by burning coal, paper production, and melting metal.
Sulfur dioxide can harm vegetation, harm metals, and cause lung problems, which include breathing
problems and permanent lung damage.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): VOCs are released into the air by burning gasoline, wood, coal, or
natural gas, solvents, paints, glues, and other products that are used at work or at home.
There are a lot of similarities in all of these pollutants. Most of the pollutants
are from automobiles. Automobiles release harmful smoke into the air, which
causes acid rain. Coal, oil, and gasoline are also some of the most common
causes of all of the pollutants. If people reduce the amount of these things that
they release into the air, then there will be less pollutants. Some of the most
common health problems are breathing problems, nervous system problems,
and lung problems.
% that mobile sources
contribute to acid rain
% that other sources
contribute to acid rain
Volatile organic
compound
37%
63%
Nitrogen oxide
49%
51%
Carbon monoxide
81%
19%
Particulate matter
27%
73%
Air Pollutant
The table above shows that the biggest air pollutant that mobile sources contribute to acid rain is carbon
monoxide. Of all of the carbon monoxide releases that contribute to acid rain, 81% of them come from
mobile sources. The biggest other source is particulate matter, little particles of pollution that are released
into the air by cars, trucks, and buses that are burning diesel fuel, fertilizers, pesticides, road construction,
steel making, mining, and turning on fire places and wood stoves. 73% of the non-mobile sources that
contribute to acid rain are caused by the release of particulate matter. The table above shows how much
mobile and other sources of pollution can make acid rain more of a problem. Seeing that carbon monoxide
and particulate matter are the leading sources of pollution, by cutting down on these, acid rain will not be
as much of a problem.
ARTICLE #3 Preventing and Preparing for Acid Rain
There are many ways that people can stop pollution. One major way is to reduce the amount of trips that
you take in your car. Another way that a lot of our pollution is caused is by creating electrical energy.
When electricity is created, fuels are usually burned, and this causes the pollution, which causes acid rain.
The generation of electric power produces more pollution than any other industry in the United States.
Burning coal and other fossil fuels causes most of our pollution. This is why in some places around the
world, acid rain is monitored very closely. In 1998, data shows that by using electricity, the pollution that
comes with it was responsible for 67% of the sulfur dioxide emissions that caused acid rain that year.
Every time that you turn on the lights, that causes the pollution that causes acid rain. Even doing little
things that you may think don’t cause pollution sometimes really do. Some things that you can do to
make acid rain less of a problem are:
In Your Home
Only run the dishwasher with a full load
Only run the washing machine with a full load
Turn off the lights in empty rooms or when you will be away from home
Turn off the hot water tank when you will be gone for a long period of time
Turn down the heat at night and when you will not be home for the night
Don’t use your air conditioner as much
Install fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent light bulbs
Try to reduce, reuse, and recycle as often as you can
Try not to burn a fire as often as you usually do
In the yard
Keep the pool cover on the pool whenever you are not using it
Transportation
When you are going to work, you could walk, ride your bike, or take a bus
Car-pool to a place with someone else
For alternate fuels, try ethanol, propane, or natural gas
Take the train or a bus for long trips
Limit the amount of long trips you take in your car
Make sure that your vehicle’s air conditioning system isn’t leaking
Try not to overflow the gas tank
Make sure that you are traveling at high speeds only when you need to
Acid rain hurts many things. Some things that are being hurt by acid rain are trees, animals, and most of
all, sea life. People can help stop acid rain by not polluting the air. When the chemicals in the air turn into
a gas and evaporate, they mix with the water vapor, and cause acid rain. Even kids can help prevent this
pollution by using less electricity and using transportation that is friendly to the environment.
ARTICLE #4
Acid rain describes any form of precipitation with high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. 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 automobiles.
When humans burn fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are released into the
atmosphere. These chemical gases react with water, oxygen, and other substances to form mild solutions of
sulfuric and nitric acid. Winds may spread these acidic solutions across the atmosphere and over hundreds of
miles. When acid rain reaches Earth, it flows across the surface in runoff water, enters water systems, and sinks
into the soil.Acid rain has many ecological effects, but none is greater than its impact on lakes, streams,
wetlands, and other aquatic environments. Acid rain makes waters acidic and causes them to absorb the
aluminum that makes its way from soil into lakes and streams. This combination makes waters toxic to crayfish,
clams, fish, and other aquatic animals.
Some species can tolerate acidic waters better than others. However, in an interconnected ecosystem, what
impacts some species eventually impacts many more throughout the food chain—including non-aquatic species
such as birds. Acid rain also damages forests, especially those at higher elevations. It robs the soil of essential
nutrients and releases aluminum in the soil, which makes it hard for trees to take up water. Trees' leaves and
needles are also harmed by acids.
The effects of acid rain, combined with other environmental stressors, leave trees and plants less able to
withstand cold temperatures, insects, and disease. The pollutants may also inhibit trees' ability to reproduce.
Some soils are better able to neutralize acids than others. In areas where the soil's "buffering capacity" is low,
the harmful effects of acid rain are much greater.The only way to fight acid rain is by curbing the release of the
pollutants that cause it. This means burning fewer fossil fuels. Many governments have tried to curb emissions
by cleaning up industry smokestacks and promoting alternative fuel sources. These efforts have met with mixed
results. But even if acid rain could be stopped today, it would still take many years for its harmful effects to
disappear.
ARTICLE #5 Acid rain and stone
When you hear or read in the media about the effects of acid rain, you are
usually told about the lakes, fish, and trees in New England and Canada.
However, we are becoming aware of an additional concern: many of our historic
buildings and monuments are located in the areas of highest acidity. In Europe,
where buildings are much older and pollution levels have been ten times greater
than in the United States, there is a growing awareness that pollution and acid
rain are accelerating the deterioration of buildings and monuments.
Stone weathers (deteriorates) as part of the normal geologic cycle through
natural chemical, physical, and biological processes when it is exposed to the
environment. This weathering process, over hundreds of millions of years,
turned the Appalachian Mountains from towering peaks as high as the Rockies to the rounded knobs we
see today. Our concern is that air pollution, particularly in urban areas, may be accelerating the normal,
natural rate of stone deterioration, so that we may prematurely lose buildings and sculptures of historic
or cultural value.
What about buildings?
Many buildings and monuments are made of stone, and many buildings use stone for decorative trim.
Granite is now the most widely used stone for buildings, monuments, and bridges. Limestone is the
second most used building stone. It was widely used before Portland cement became available in the
early 19th century because of its uniform color and texture and because it could be easily carved.
Sandstone from local sources was commonly used in the Northeastern United States, especially before
1900. Nationwide, marble is used much less often than the other stone types, but it has been used for
many buildings and monuments of historical significance. Because of their composition, some stones are
more likely to be damaged by acidic deposition than others. Granite is primarily composed of silicate
minerals, like feldspar and quartz, which are resistant to acid attack. Sandstone is also primarily
composed of silica and is thus resistant. A few sandstones are less resistant because they contain a
carbonate cement that dissolves readily in weak acid. Limestone and marble are primarily composed of
the mineral calcite (calcium carbonate), which dissolves readily in weak acid; in fact, this characteristic
is often used to identify the mineral calcite.
How does acid precipitation affect marble and limestone buildings?
Acid precipitation affects stone primarily in two ways: dissolution and alteration. When sulfurous, sulfuric,
and nitric acids in polluted air react with the calcite in marble and limestone, the calcite dissolves. In
exposed areas of buildings and statues, we see roughened surfaces, removal of material, and loss of
carved details. Stone surface material may be lost all over or only in spots that are more reactive.
You might expect that sheltered areas of stone buildings and monuments would not be affected by acid
precipitation. However, sheltered areas on limestone and marble buildings and monuments show
blackened crusts that have spalled (peeled) off in some places, revealing crumbling stone beneath. This
black crust is primarily composed of gypsum, a mineral that forms from the reaction between calcite,
water, and sulfuric acid. Gypsum is soluble in water; although it can form anywhere on carbonate stone
surfaces that are exposed to sulfur dioxide gas (SO2), it is usually washed away. It remains only on
protected surfaces that are not directly washed by the rain. Gypsum is white, but the crystals form
networks that trap particles of dirt and pollutants, so the crust looks black. Eventually the black crusts
blister and spall off, revealing crumbling stone.
By the way, no, you don't need to start wearing a rain hat.