Biology 101 Acid Rain Essay

Lauren OBrien Due: Monday, January 30, 2010

Acid rain is an umbrella term used to define the manner in which acid is cycled throughout the atmosphere. It is more specifically called acid disposition, and describes any type of precipitation that has a low pH. Caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide, acid rain is caused by both natural and man-made sources. The natural sources responsible for these emissions are volcanoes and decaying vegetation, but the primary offenders are man-made emissions from burning fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil. Acid rain is created when these gases react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals in the atmosphere. It can occur in wet form as rain, snow, and fog, and also in dry form as gases and particles. Pure water has a neutral pH of 7.0 but according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the most acidic rain to fall in the U.S. has a pH of 4.3. Acid rain has an extremely detrimental effect on our environment. It is harmful to our
forests, soils, and freshwaters and even to structures like statues and bridges. Many aquatic animals have suffered, some species dying off completely, simply because they cannot survive in such acidic waters. Vegetation, forests, and soils are being stripped of nutrients vital for growth and production which in turn affects any species that they have any sort of connection to. Even man-made structures like historical monuments, bridges, buildings, and headstones are experiencing the adverse effects of acid rain by corroding or flaking off. Acid rain is a major issue but luckily there are steps being made toward its prevention. The emissions from burning natural fuels, sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide, are the major contributors toward this problem. To reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide released from factories, they can use coal that

contains less sulfur, wash the coal, burn natural fuels, or use scrubbers, a reaction tower equipped with a fan that extracts hot smoke stack gases from a power plant into the tower. Cars also produce a large amount of nitric oxides, which is why they are not equipped with catalytic converters, helping to lower their amount of emissions, and as of recent, via the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, no tail pipes are allowed to have nitric oxide emissions. Alternative forms of energy may also be utilized like hydropower, wind power, solar power, and nuclear power. As an individual, I can reduce my adverse effect on the environment by doing simple thing like turning off the lights when I leave a room, keeping my house temperature moderate, carpooling with others or riding my bike to get places, and purchasing vehicles with lower levels of emissions like a hybrid. Organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have also been created in an attempt to research, prevent, and inform the public about acid rain. Although it is hard to make as an individual on an problem of this scale, if we were all to make these minor adjustments to our lifestyles it would greatly benefit the world we live in.

Works Cited "Learn the Issues: Air | Learn the Issues | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agencgy. US Goverment,Web.27Jan.2010. <http://www.epa.gov/gateway/learn/airpollution.html>.