• INTRODUCTION ----------------------------PAGE 1

• INDEX ------------------------------------------PAGE 2

• WHAT IS ACID RAIN-----------------------PAGE 3

• REASONS AND SOURCES------------- PAGE 4
• HARMFUL EFFECTS --------------------- PAGE 5
• PAKISTAN AREAS HAVING HIGHER
CHANCES OF ACID RAIN--------------- PAGE 6
• EFFECTS ON HUMANS------------------ PAGE 7
• EFFECTS ON VEGETATION------------ PAGE 8
• PRACTICLE EXAMPLE OF
DESTRUCTION CAUSED---------------- PAGE 9 –
15
• PREVENTIVE MEASURES-------------- PAGE 16
 WHAT IS ACID RAIN?
• "Acid rain" is a broad term referring to a mixture of wet and dry
deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing
higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids.

• Wet Deposition
• Wet deposition refers to acidic rain, fog, and snow. If the acid
chemicals in the air are blown into areas where the weather is wet,
the acids can fall to the ground in the form of rain, snow, fog, or
mist. As this acidic water flows over and through the ground, it
affects a variety of plants and animals. The strength of the effects
depends on several factors, including how acidic the water is; the
chemistry and buffering capacity of the soils involved; and the types
of fish, trees, and other living things that rely on the water.
• Dry Deposition
• In areas where the weather is dry, the acid chemicals may become
incorporated into dust or smoke and fall to the ground through
dry deposition, sticking to the ground, buildings, homes, cars, and
trees. Dry deposited gases and particles can be washed from these
surfaces by rainstorms, leading to increased runoff. This runoff
water makes the resulting mixture more acidic. About half of the
acidity in the atmosphere falls back to earth through dry deposition.
 REASONS & SOURCES
• Sources of Acid Rain
Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds
like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These
substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and
react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more
acidic pollutants, known as acid rain. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
dissolve very easily in water and can be carried very far by the wind. As a
result, the two compounds can travel long distances where they become
part of the rain, sleet, snow, and fog that we experience on certain days.
• Human activities are the main cause of acid rain. Over the past few
decades, humans have released so many different chemicals into the air
that they have changed the mix of gases in the atmosphere. Power plants
release the majority of sulfur dioxide and much of the nitrogen oxides
when they burn fossil fuels, such as coal, to produce electricity. In
addition, the exhaust from cars, trucks, and buses releases nitrogen
oxides and sulfur dioxide into the air. These pollutants cause acid rain.
• Acid Rain is Caused by Reactions in the
Environment
Nature depends on balance, and although some rain is naturally acidic,
with a pH level of around 5.0, human activities have made it worse.
Normal precipitation—such as rain, sleet, or snow—reacts with
alkaline chemicals, or non-acidic materials, that can be found in air, soils,
bedrock, lakes, and streams. These reactions usually neutralize natural
acids. However, if precipitation becomes too acidic, these materials may
not be able to neutralize all of the acids. Over time, these neutralizing
materials can be washed away by acid rain. Damage to crops, trees,
lakes, rivers, and animals can result.
 HARMFUL EFFECTS
• Acid rain is having harmful effects both on people and on the
natural ecosystems of the world. Scientists today are convinced
that acid rain is severe in many areas, and that it is having an
adverse effect on the environments of those locations.
• The problem of acid rain is rapidly spreading. Because it is
mainly caused by industrial processes, automobiles, and power
plants, those countries that are developed have the most severe
acid rain problems. However, as the undeveloped nations
begin to industrialize, acid rain will increase greatly.
• Determining just how much the planet is being hurt by acid rain
is very difficult because the ecosystems that it affects are so
diverse and complex.
• Many ecosystems are affected by acid rain. Bodies of water,
such as lakes and rivers, see many of their inhabitants die off
due to rising acidity levels.
• Acidic water also ruins plant nutrients, hurting plants' ability to
survive and to give life to other organisms.
• Human-made products are also experiencing degradation from
acid rain. Cars can lose their finishes, and outdoor statues are
beginning to rust.
• Acid rain's effects are destructive and long lasting. Though
scientists have studied lakes, streams, and many other natural
ecosystems to prove its negative effects, acid rain continues to
be produced and is increasing in many parts of the world.
PAKISTAN AREAS HAVING
HIGHER CHANCES OF ACID
RAIN
• KARACHI
• RAWALPINDI
• FAISALABAD
• LAHORE
• SIALKOT
• GUJARANWALA

• These are the six main cities of

Pakistan which have higher
chances of acid rain. This is
because these are highly
polluted areas and have many
industries. As acid rain is
mainly caused by pollution this
areas have chances of acid rain
EFFECTS ON
HUMAN LIFE
• Acid rain looks, feels, and tastes just like
clean rain. The harm to people from acid rain
is not direct. Walking in acid rain, or even
swimming in an acid lake, is no more
dangerous than walking or swimming in clean
water. However, the pollutants that cause
acid rain—sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen
oxides (NOx)—do damage human health.
These gases interact in the atmosphere to
form fine sulfate and nitrate particles that can
be transported long distances by winds and
inhaled deep into people's lungs. Fine
particles can also penetrate indoors. Many
scientific studies have identified a relationship
between elevated levels of fine particles and
increased illness and premature death from
heart and lung disorders, such as asthma and
bronchitis.
• NOx react with volatile organic compounds
and form ozone. Ozone impacts on human
health include a number of morbidity and
mortality risks associated with lung
inflammation, including asthma and
emphysema.
EFFECTS ON VEGETATION
• Acid rain does not usually kill trees directly. Instead, it is more
likely to weaken the trees by damaging their leaves, limiting
the nutrients available to them, or poisoning them with toxic
substances slowly released from the soil. The main
atmospheric pollutants that affect trees are nitrates and
sulphates. Forest decline is often the first sign that trees are in
trouble due to air pollution.
• Scientists believe that acidic water dissolves the nutrients and
helpful minerals in the soil and then washes them away before
the trees and other plants can use them to grow. At the same
time, the acid rain causes the release of toxic substances
such as aluminium into the soil. These are very harmful to
trees and plants, even if contact is limited. Toxic substances
also wash away in the runoff that carries the substances into
streams, rivers, and lakes. Fewer of these toxic substances
are released when the rainfall is cleaner.
• Even if the soil is well buffered, there can be damage from
acid rain. Forests in high mountain regions receive additional
acid from the acidic clouds and fog that often surround them.
These clouds and fog are often more acidic than rainfall.
When leaves are frequently bathed in this acid fog, their
protective waxy coating can wear away. The loss of the
coating damages the leaves and creates brown spots. Leaves
turn the energy in sunlight into food for growth. This process is
called photosynthesis. When leaves are damaged, they
cannot produce enough food energy for the tree to remain
healthy.
• Once trees are weak, diseases or insects that ultimately kill
them can more easily attack them. Weakened trees may also
become injured more easily by cold weather.
PRACTICLE EXAMPLE OF DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY
ACID RAIN
• Student worthiness
Some of the materials • Tried and trusted.
• Primary biological content area covered
pictures • Students will:
• understand the damaging effects of acid rain on the
environment.
• understand the damaging effects of acid rain on plants.
• pose a hypothesis and use the scientific method.
• Materials
• Materials teacher will need:
• plastic table cloth
• paper towels
• Materials each student will need:
• safety goggles
• Materials each student group will need:
• three cups of vinegar
• three cups of water
• tablespoon
• white chalk
• eye droppers
• 2 foil pans
• small disposable paper cups
• permanent markers
• pestle and mortar (or other method to crush chalk)
• Resealable plastic storage bags
• rubberbands
• six medium plastic cups
• soil
• bean seeds or another type of plant seed
• Handouts
• Students will receive Figure 1 to record their hypotheses and observations
of the chalk experiment.
• Students will receive Figure 2 to record their hypotheses about the bean
growth experiment.
• Students will receive Figure 3 to record their data and observations of the
bean growth experiment.

• Description of activity
• Students will explore the damaging effects of acid rain on the environment
using the scientific method. The students will mimic the effects of acid rain
in two different ways. In the first way, they will use water, vinegar, and chalk.
The students will form a hypothesis about the effects of dropping water and
vinegar separately on ground-up pieces of chalk. The students will record
both their hypotheses and their observations. The second way in which
students will explore the effects of acid rain is by growing beans. They will
set up self-watering biodomes in large plastic bags in which the beans will
grow. Each group will pot three beans, making three different biodomes.
One bean will be watered with 2 tablespoons of water, one with 1
tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and one with 2
tablespoons of vinegar. Students will place these biodomes in a window and
observe them each day, measuring and recording the height of each bean.
Students will make hypotheses about the growth of the beans and then
make a table to record their observations. Finally, the class as a whole can
compile their results to make one master chart or graph.
• Math connection
• After planting the beans in both water, vinegar, and the combination of the
two, students will collect data of how tall the plants are and will record it in a
chart (using Figure 3). Students can then use these data to create a graph
of how tall each bean was from day to day or a graph that compares the
ending heights of each of the beans grown in different liquids. They can
then compile their results with the rest of their classmates' results and make
a master graph. The results will show the students a concrete example of
acid rain's affect on plant life.
• Connections to educational standards
• Scientific Method: 7.1 Students use scientific methods to describe,
investigate, explain phenomenon, and raise questions in order to: generate
alternative explanations; design inquiry that allows these explanations to be
tested; deduce the expected results; gather and analyze data to compare
the actual results to the expected outcomes; and make and communicate
conclusions, generating new questions raised by observations and readings.
• Theories, Systems, and Forces: 7.15 Students demonstrate
understanding of the earth and its environment, the solar system, and the
universe in terms of the systems that characterize them, the forces that
affect and shape them over time, and the theories that currently explain their
evolution This is evident when: a. Identify and record evidence of change
over time, e. Analyze and explain natural resource management.
• Lesson plan
• We will start with a brief conversation about what acid rain is and how it affects the
environment. Students will be shown pictures of acid rain destruction of statues and
forests (from the book in the literature connection). We will tell students that vinegar
can represent acid rain, and will throughout both of the experiments. (5 minutes).
• Students will work in groups, wearing safety goggles, and will grind up two pieces of
white chalk using the pestle and mortar. They will then place the ground chalk into
two different tin plates. They will make hypotheses (using Figure 1) about what will
happen when vinegar is added to chalk and what will happen when water is added to
chalk. Students will then use eye droppers to put one stream of water on the chalk in
one of the tins and make observations (using Figure 1), and then they will put one
stream of vinegar on the chalk in the other tin and make observations (using Figure
1). They will then be asked how this links to the damaging effects of acid rain in the
environment (10 minutes).
• Next, students will work as a group to plant beans in self-watering biodomes (each
group will make a total of three biodomes). For each biodome, students will fill a
medium-sized plastic cup with soil and will plant a bean in the center of the cup. Each
plant will get 2 tablespoons of liquid: one will receive 2 tablespoons of water, one will
receive one tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of vinegar, and one will receive
two tablespoons of vinegar. Students will label the plastic cups based on the liquids
that were placed in the soil. Students will place each cup in a storage-sized ziploc
bag and make sure it is sealed tightly. Then they will place a rubber band loosely
around the top of the cup, allowing the plant to grow through the opening and water
itself. Students will place their bean plants in the window sill to allow them to grow
and then observe. Students will form their hypotheses (using Figure 2) and then will
collect data and make observations as the plants grow (using Figure 3) (10 minutes).
• Students will spend any remaining time cleaning up the work area.
• Pitfalls
• It is important to use chalk board chalk because we found that side
walk chalk doesn't work. Also, make sure the chalk is white because
the colored chalk did not show strong results, which is important
because students need to see what "acid rain" does to the
environment.
• Also, it is important to help students place the rubber band over the
plastic bag so that it is directly above the cup, allowing the plant to
grow up through the space and creating a self-watering system.
• Also, the soil for the beans should be well-moistened, but not
muddy, to create a self-watering system. We suggest 2 tablespoons
of liquid for a medium sized cup filled 2/3 with soil.
• In order to accommodate the needs of ELL students, the handout
can be changed to include a word bank of scientific terms that
accurately describe the effects of water and vinegar on chalk. In
addition, the handout can include a space for students to draw their
observations if they have difficulties with handwriting.
• Good Idea
• Have the students wear safety goggles. They will really enjoy this!
 • Demo Photos
Figure 4. Fizzing White Figure 5. The Bean
Chalk Plants

• Next steps
The self-watering biodomes could also be used to explore the water cycle. A
connection could easily be made to this lesson plan:
Water Around and Around Again.
A connection could also be made to plant needs, discussing what plants need in
the environment in order to survive and grow the best.
Also, someone could extend on this lesson by talking about pollution and how
important it is to recycle so we don't create acid rain and cause any more
damage then has already been caused.
• Citations and links
• This idea was adapted from:
http://www.col-ed.org/cur/sci/sci208.txt
• Vermont Standards
• The following images are from: Wikimedia Commons

Figure 6. Trees destroyed by acid rain Figure 7. Statue destroyed by acid rain
 PREVENTIVE
RECYCLE
MEASURES
• Now that we know the horror and harmful effects of
acid rain, we may surely want to know how we
stop it. In our own small way we all can start to
stop this problem. Here are some solutions to the
acid rain problem.

• If the amount of sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides

in the air is reduced, then acid rain will be reduced.
There are many helpful things that "normal" people
can do. First of all, conserve energy and pollute
CONSERVE less! Use less electricity; and carpool, use public
transportation, or walk when you can. This will help
ENERGY more than one might think. When less energy is
used, less coal is burnt, and as a result, there is
less acid rain. Recycle paper to stop levels of
sulfur dioxide emitted with new paper being made.

• Also, if coal was cleaned before it was burnt, the

dangerous pollutants that cause acid rain would be
cleaned away. If coal is crushed and washed in
water, the sulfur washes out. However, this is a
USE PUBLIC very costly method! It is also costly to burn low-
sulfur coal (low-sulfur coal gives off less sulfur in
TRANSPORTATION the air as opposed to high-sulfur coal).

POLLUTE
LESS