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Essay about Air Pollution

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When looking at air pollution, we can see that there are many types, one type is acid rain. Scientists have discovered that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels mainly in power stations and industry in countries such as Germany, United Kingdom and other economically developed countries is the major cause of acid rain. Acidic deposition or acid rain as it is commonly known occurs when emissions of sulphur dioxide (so2) and oxides of nitrogen (no) react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen and oxidants to form various acidic compounds, sunlight further accelerates this process with the introduction of heat. These compounds then fall to the earth in either wet form (such as rain, snow, and fog) or dry form (such as gas and …show more content…

There are also economic implications to acid rain, acidic particles are known to contribute to the corrosion of metals and deterioration of stone buildings and paint on cars. The corrosion seriously depreciates the value of buildings and goods which are a value to society e.g. old buildings which have to be maintained more due to the increase and effects of acid rain, like statues features becoming less deformed and rounded. Some manufacturers of motor vehicles have had top paint their cars with acid resistant paint which can protect the car against the corrosive affects of acid rain, at an average cost of £5 per car produced in the Scandinavian countries which is a total of £61 million per year on top of all new cars sold in the Scandinavian countries. However certain regulations have been introduced to prevent future increases in damages to materials, “the acid rain program” will try to reduce emissions of so2 ,the benefits of this program are measured, by the costs now of repair or damage since the program was introduced.

There are more social effects of acid rain one is that the health of the general population of a country seems to be worsening due to the air born acidic particles, so2 has now been regulated by the “clean air act” in 1990,when sulphur dioxide interacts in the atmosphere to form sulphur aerosols, which may be transported long distances through the air, most of these aerosols

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