Acid Rain

By: Sofia Cruz Per.3.

What is Acid Rain?

Acid Rain is a mixture of wet and dry deposition from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids

Acid Rain describes any form of precipitation with high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids
Acid Rain is rain consisting of water droplets that are usually acidic because of atmosphere pollution

What factors cause this problem?

The main cause is Industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels the waste gases from which contain sulfuric and nitrogen oxides, which combine with atmospheric water to form acids

Burning of fossil fuels/industrial processes Acid deposition can occur in natural sources like volcanoes but is mainly caused by release of sulfuric oxide and nitrogen oxided during fossil fuels combustion

What are the specific effects of this problem on the environment?

As this acid liquid flows into larger bodies of water it is diluted but over time, acids can accrue and lower the overall pit of body Acid Rain also has an impact on architecture and art because of its ability to corrode certain materials Acid Rain also affects forest. As acid rain falls on trees ,it can make them lose their leaves, damage their bark, and stunt their growth. By damaging these parts of the tree it makes them vulnerable to disease, extreme weather, and insects Acid Rain falling in forests soil is also very harmful because it disrupts soil nutrients, kills microorganisms in the soil, and can sometimes cause calcium deficiency in the clouds blankets them. Trees at high altitudes are also susceptible to problems induced by acidic cloud cover as the moisture

Example of Acid Rain effects

What is currently being done to help reduce the effects of this problem?

Most notably ,many governments are now requiring energy producers to clean smokestacks by using scrubbers which trap pollution before they are released into the atmosphere and catalytic converters in cars EPA has taken a steps to limit the amount of NOx and SO2 emitted into the atmosphere because they are the main contributors to acid deposition In addition they are trying to influence people to:

1. Turn off electronics when you're not using them 2. Use energy efficient appliances like air conditioning, heaters, refrigerators, and washing machines 3. Try to only use electric appliances when needed 4. Try to use public transportation or better yet, walk or bicycle whenever

Examples of what the government is doing to help

Taking Action

What can i do to help solve this problem?
I can encourage people to help keep the air clean

Also to help clean our surroundings

I can also help by unplugging my electronics when i'm not using them

What can I encourage others to do to help solve this problem?

I can encourage people to stop wasting electricity when not needed I can also encourage people to ride bikes or share rides to not put more gases that make pollution in our environment

Resources

"Acid

Rain." About.com Geography. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.

"Acid Rain." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013.

EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. "How Do You Stop Acid Rain?" WikiAnswers. Answers, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013.