Acid Rains

Cromwell: Hello Cyrus, may I interview you for the school magazine
Cyrus : Sure, you may. So, what we will talk about.
Cromwell: We will talk about acid rain. Acid rains are very dangerous and
can cause
Death, so how is acid rain form?
Cyrus : Acid rain a form

What is Acid Rain?

People burn things every day. They burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas to
generate electricity for homes and offices, run motor vehicles for transport and manufacture
goods to make our lives comfortable. People also burn things they n longer need, like rubbish.
Sometimes, trees are burnt to clear land for cultivation. Although burning is a necessary
activity, it pollutes the air.

When fossil fuels and wood are burnt, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released. These
pollutants react with water, sunlight and other chemicals in the atmosphere to form tiny drops
of sulphuric and nitric acid. When it rains or snows, these drops of acid are washed down from
the sky. But if the atmosphere is very dry, the pollutants slowly descend and settle over homes,
buildings, cars and trees. During a rainstorm, these pollutants mix with rainwater to produce
acids, which then seep into the ground or flow into streams and lakes. Even though the acids
are formed and deposited in several different ways, all of these processes are referred to as acid
rain.

The Effects of Acid Rain

Over time, acid rain causes damage in several ways. It dissolves materials such as marble and
metal from which buildings and monuments are built. Many old buildings and beautiful statues
in Europe have been destroyed in this way. Acid rain can cause lakes to become so acidic that
n fish can live in them. Thousands of lakes in Canada and the United States are affected by this
problem. Acid rain can weaken trees and cause them to die. Large areas of forests in Europe,
North America and China have been destroyed in this manner. Acid rain can dissolve copper,
aluminium and other metals in the ground and in metal pipes. This, in turn, can poison
drinking water. Too much acid in the air can irritate our eyes and skin; it can also harm our
lungs and give us breathing problems.

What Can We Do to Help?

To reduce acid rain, we need to reduce the amount of acid pollutants in the air. We can begin
by decreasing the number of motor vehicles on the road as they are the biggest source of acid
pollutants. We can carpool; use public transport, walk or cycle to some of our destinations. We
can fit our motor vehicles with catalytic converters to reduce the amount of pollutants in their
exhaust gases. Industries can reduce the amount of pollutants they release into the air by
installing devices to remove some of the pollutants from gases and smoke that come out of
chimneys at power stations and factories.