Acid Rain

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Acid Rain

Introduction: What Causes Acid Rain?
One of the main causes of acid rain is sulfur dioxide. Natural sources, which emit this gas, are
Volcanoes, sea spray, rotting vegetation and plankton. However, the burning of fossil fuels, such as
Coal and oil, are largely to be blamed for approximately half of the emissions of this gas in the world.
When sulfur dioxide reaches the atmosphere, it oxidizes to first form a sulfate ion. It then
Becomes sulfuric acid as it joins with hydrogen atoms in the air and falls back down to earth.
Oxidation occurs the most in clouds and especially in heavily polluted air where other compounds
such as ammonia and ozone help to catalyze the reaction, changing more sulfur dioxide to
sulfuric acid. However, not all of the sulphur dioxide is changed to sulfuric acid. In fact, a
substantial amount can float up into the atmosphere, move over to another area and return to earth
unconverted.
In the following pages I will show the effects of acid rain on:
· Effect on Trees and Soils
· Effect on Lakes and Aquatic Systems
· Effect on Materials
· Effect on Atmosphere
· Effect on Architecture
· Effect on Humans
Effect on Trees and Soils
One of the most serious impacts of acid precipitation is on forests and soils. Great damage is done
when sulfuric acid falls onto the earth as rain. Nutrients present in the soils are washed away.
Aluminium also present in the soil is freed and the roots of trees can absorb this toxic element.
Thus, the trees are starved to death as they are deprived of their vital nutrients such as calcium
and magnesium. Not all of the sulphur dioxide is converted to sulfuric acid. In fact, a substantial
amount can float into the atmosphere, move over to another area and return to the soils unconverted.
As this gas returns back to earth, it clogs up the stomata in the leaves, thus hindering photosynthesis.
Research has been made where red spruce seedlings were sprayed with different combinations of
sulfuric and nitric acid of pH ranging from 2.5 to 4.5. The needles of these seedlings were
observed to develop brown lesions. Eventually, the needles fall off. It was also found that new
needles grew more slowly at higher concentrations of acid used. Because the rate at which the
needles were falling was greater than the rate at which they were replenished, photosynthesis was
greatly affected, The actual way in which these needles were killed is still not yet known. However,
studies have shown that calcium and magnesium ...

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