Resumen De Acid Rain

Acid Rain
Definition: Precipitation that has a pH of less than that of natural rainwater. It is formed when sulphur dioxides and nitrogen oxides, as gases or fine particles in the atmosphere,combine with water vapour and precipitate as sulphuric acid or nitric acid in rain, snow, or fog.
Causes of Acid Rain
w Natural Sources
Emissions from volcanoes and from biological processes that occuron the land, in wetlands, and in the oceans contribute acid-producing gases to the atmosphere.
Effects of acidic deposits have been detected in glacial ice thousands of years old in remote parts ofthe globe
w The principal cause of acid rain is from human sources
Industrial factories, power-generating plants and vehicles
Sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen are released during the fuelburning process.

Affected Areas: examples
w Canada
Acid rain is a problem in Canada
Water and soil systems lack natural alkalinity such as lime base
w Cannot neutralize acid
Canadaconsists of susceptible hard rock such as granite
w Do not have the capacity to effectively neutralize acid rain
w Industrial acid rain is a substantial problem in China, Eastern Europe and Russiaand areas down-wind from them.
w Acid rain from power plants in the Midwest United States has also harmed the forests of upstate New York and New England.
w This shows that the effects of acid raincan spread over a large area, far from the source of the pollution.

Effects of Acid Rain
w Harmful to aquatic life
Increased acidity in water bodies
Stops eggs of certain organisms (e.g. fish)to stop hatching
w Changes population ratios
w Affects the ecosystem
w Harmful to vegetation
Increased acidity in soil
Leeches nutrients from soil, slowing plant growth
Leechestoxins from soil, poisoning plants
Creates brown spots in leaves of trees, impeding photosynthesis
Allows organisms to infect through broken leaves.
w Accelerates weathering in metal and stone...