Environmental Science Acid rain can cause reproductive defects on fish and other aquatic life. It can destroy aquatic ecosystems, leaving only a clear, but empty body of water. Acid rain was a problem in 1980, and steps were taken in order to fix it, and since then, air quality improved and will continue to improve as more and more steps are taken to control pollution. Modern technologies such as a cars, power plants, and factories consume fossil fuels in order to run. By consuming fossil fuels, cars, power plants, and factories release harmful gases into the air. These harmful gases then react with water droplets in the clouds to produce nitric and sulfuric acids, which turns normal precipitation into acid precipitation. Factories have many purposes. Some factories work with food, and others manufacture various goods such as cars, electronics, and appliances. Cars provide an easier and efficient mode of transport. There are millions of cars in the United States alone. Most of them producing harmful pollutants. Zero-Emission Vehicles such as the Tesla Model S do not produce harmufl pollutants. Power Plants produce electricity for everyday life. We use this electricity for many things. Appliances, Electronics, all produced in Factories. Power Plants burn fossil fuels to create electricity. In (FC.1) it shows that Factories, Cars, and Power Plants are related. Power Plants, Cars, and Factories produce gases that cause acid rain. They are Primary
There are several different pollutants that can lead to acid rain such as SO2, SO3, NO2, and CO2. These pollutants react with water to create acids as shown below.
When President Richard Nixon was in charge, the whole environmental policies started to properly rise in American. Back in 1989 when President Bush issued what would the following year be called the Clean Air of 1990, the United States was taking notice in world climate. Over the years, the country as a whole has strayed from putting emphasis on these issues. Graphs show us that we did better back in 1990 than we did in 2004. Compared to many other countries such as Germany, Japan, Canada, UK, Italy, France, and Australia, the United States releases an incredible amount of more greenhouse emissions. President Bush wanted to take care of three major issues of the time that would benefit every American, “The President proposed legislation designed to curb three major threats to the nation 's environment and to the health of millions of Americans: acid rain, urban air pollution, and toxic air emissions.” (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2015). Acid rain is something that harms plants, marine life, and humans, it has high levels of nitrate and sulfur dioxide. Too much of acid rain can begin to kill species because of its toxic chemicals. Professor Pecorella 2015 on a class lecture of public opinion said that,“public opinion reacts to action”,since this is true, then this would validate what EPA does because the majority of people do believe in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency would help ensure a safer future for America, one that would allow
Acid rain has not been shown to be harmful to human health, but some of the particles, which can be formed from sulfate, and nitrate ions can affect respiration. They can be transported long distances by winds and inhaled deep into people's lungs. Fine particles can also penetrate indoors. Many scientific studies have identified a relationship between elevated levels of fine particles and increased illness and premature death from heart and lung disorders, such as asthma and bronchitis.
Acid rain has a large concentration of hydrogen ions mainly coming from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. It could kill living organisms, damage buildings, and monuments.
Another form of industrial waste that contributes to water pollution is acid rain. Acid rain is a product of industries burning coal. The burning of coal produces sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide, and when these chemicals combine with the earth’s atmosphere it forms acid rain The Northeastern part of the United States has the worst acid rain levels in the world. More specific, the states with the highest concentration are Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and some boarding parts of Canada and New England area. The falling acid rain can destroy plants and animals in several different ways. The acidification of a lake, river, or stream because of the high acidic levels in the water kills algae. Since algae are the main source of food, for many species of fish, they will also suffer from the high acid levels.
Rain drops that then fall through, or come in contact with, the acid will then increase their acidity. This is known as acid rain. This is a very large environmental issue because fossil fuels are burned to produce useful energy that is needed by society. But acid rain can reduce growth and even kill plants, trees and crops. It not only effects the part of the plant that is above ground, but drains the soil of its nutrients. The acidity of the rain will also lower the pH of water in lakes, killing the fish which live in it. Not only can the burning of fossil fuels ultimately lead to acid rain, but sulfur dioxide can also be the cause of many respiratory diseases like asthma and
Another way acid rain can be prevented is by using fewer cars! There are so many different ways of transportation. You can use bikes if you aren’t going a long distance, you can use a train, if you live near a friends house you can car pool, and this all decreases reliance on fossil fuels. Cars also emit carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming which is affecting the environment. As the temperature rises, more rain falls, which increases the risk of heavier flooding. Ice is melting, and that is dangerous for future sea level rise. Also many countries already have very low water, and when the climate changes it changes precipitation patterns, and increasing droughts, which is dangerous because people are running out of water. But a positive impact is that electric cars are better for the environment because they only use battery power, meaning there is no burning of gasoline or other fossil
When rain occurs in these large cities, the rain filters down the pollutants such as CO2 and other green house gases in the air onto the ground below. Then, those chemicals are washed directly into rivers, streams and oceans, causing a decline in water quality and damaging marine ecosystems.[11]
Acid rain affects thousands of people worldwide and is produced by factories and car fumes. It is the product of humanity and should not happen if we were careful of our carbon emissions. This phenomenon has contributed to many ruined water sources around the world. If acid rain was never a problem then places like Canada would have more forests and trees in Ontario. Also not as much coral would be dying in the ocean. Acid rain is a serious problem that needs to be addressed with caution and must be effectively dealt with before it is too
This experiment will evaluate the damage caused to plants by acid rain. Acid rain is any form of precipitation, such as fog, rain, or snow, with acidic components. (What is Acid Rain?, n.d.) The effects of acid rain on the environment are important to understand because it affects plant life, animals, and waterways. Additionally, people can be harmed by the pollutants that cause acid rain. It is important for scientists to perform this experiment so that they can better understand the effects of acid rain, how to prevent acid rain, and how to overcome the damages caused by acid rain. During the experiment, a vinegar solution acting as acid rain will be applied to radish seeds in both a petri dish and seeds planted in a
This is also called global warming which also affects the marine pollution by causing ice sheets and glaciers to melt rising which also causes sea levels to rise to the point where coastal regions would flood. Not all air pollution is caused by humans. Natural disasters such as a volcano erupting can throw out ashes and gases into the atmosphere. Which can lead to light pollution as well by darkening the sky. Air pollution comes from fossil fuels, coal, smog,and oil. Smog which has nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrocarbons can make breathing difficult for the old and the young. Another act caused by air pollution is acid rain which causes damage in forests and lakes. Water pollution has many harmful chemicals and can be very deceiving to the eye. Water will appear clean but will actually not be clean. What contributes to water pollution is oil spills, mining, acid mine drainage, and sulfur. Drinking contaminated water can expose creatures to harmful chemicals that will affect them for years or make them sick. The united nations estimates that around 4000 children die of drinking contaminated water. Fish that are exposed to contaminated water are unsafe to eat and will cause illness. Land pollution also has many of the same pollutants as water which leaves the soil with harmful chemicals. Pesticides, contaminated soil, and fertilizers can affect the plants that bear fruits, animals that eat the fruit, and
Sulfur Dioxide Pollution in Sullivan County The environmental issue that I have chosen to talk about is sulfur dioxide pollution, specifically in my community and surrounding communities. “The environmental impact of acid rain is that it is a major contributor to acid rain” (Sulfur Dioxide). Acid rain is just normal rain but with a lower pH, “this slightly more acidic water gets into ponds and streams and can alter the biodiversity of it by making the water not suitable for certain species. Another effect of acid rain is that it can leach aluminum into the soil, aluminum is harmful to plant life and wildlife” (Effects of Acid Rain). “The impact on people is the increased likelihood of someone developing short term or long term respiratory
The effects of acid rain greatly affect the environment. Some lakes become so acidic fish cannot survive in them. The degradation of minerals present in soil produces metal ions. These are subsequently washed away, causing the release of toxic substances, such as Al3+, into the water supply. This also causes the loss of important minerals, such as Ca2+, from the soil, killing trees and crops. Long-term effects from global warming include landslides and increased seismic and volcanic activities, due to land no longer being depressed by the weight of ice. Tsunamis could also be generated, landslides caused by warmer ocean water thawing ocean-floor permafrost or releasing gas hydrates. Some world regions already show an increase in landslides, such as the French Alps.
Acid rain is a problem that has plagued earth for years. It is poisoning our waters, animals, plants, soil, and more. It is a problem that can not be ignored or it might have catastrophic results on our environment. Acid rain is caused by air pollution, which is due to man-made actions.
As well, acid rain can be caused by the release of emissions from factories, vehicles, etc.