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Essay on Acid Rain

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The world we live in today has become a nest for pollution, toxic waste and environmental deterioration. In order to improve our planet, acid rain is a main factor to be considered and must be controlled before the damage worsens. In order to understand what acid rain is, we must first understand the term “acidity”. Acidic is a way to describe chemical compounds and it is measured on the pH scale, a logarithmic measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in precipitation (1). This scale is numbered 0 to 14, where substances with values below 7 are considered acidic and the ones above 7 are basic. Pure rain has a pH between 5.6 and 5.7; therefore, any acid precipitation with a pH below 5.6 presents concerns (3). Rain itself …show more content…

Both forms are carried by wind and can ultimately contaminate our air, our plants, our animals, and our water (2) (See Appendix A). This paper will mainly focus on the effects of acid on various aspects of the planet. These effects include surface waters and aquatic animals, forests, automotive coatings, materials (metals, limestone, etc…), visibility and human health. This paper will also discuss the societal changes and actions one may take to reduce the danger of acid rain. Effects of Acid Rain Acid rain affects many facets of the earth including surface waters, aquatic animals, forests, automotive coatings, several materials (metals, paint, limestone, etc…), visibility and human health. Surface waters and aquatic animals It is important to note that acid rain’s effects on lakes and aquatic organisms vary widely. In some regions lakes may have an excessive amount of sensitivity when exposed to acidic deposition, thus, the ecosystem and species will eventually be destroyed. However, in other regions, some lakes may have a higher threshold to acid rain and therefore, little effect on the organisms (4). The presence of limestone rock contributes to the lakes’ ability in neutralizing acid (5). A lake’s ability to absorb acidity while maintaining its species’ life depends on the amount of bicarbonate (HCO3) present in the water. The bicarbonate is produced in the watershed when

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