Acid Rain and Acid Rain Effects

Droplets from clouds are naturally acidic, because the carbon dioxide in air dissolves to form a weak acid. But sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides made from burning fossil fuels form stronger acids. The moisture gets to the ground as acid mist, snow or rain. Acid rain damages forests and acidifies lakes, harming aquatic animals.

Pollutants can be carried by the winds for hundreds of kilometers before they are washed to the ground by rain.

Over the years scientists have noticed that some forests have been growing slower and slower without reason. Trees don’t grow as fast they used to before. Leaves turn brown and fall off when they are meant to be green. This is caused by acid rain.

Acid rain also damages buildings. In Westminster England up to ten million pounds was spent on repairs because of acid rain. There have also been lots of complaints of damage to car paints.

Acid rain also acidifies lakes and damages aquatic life.

It looks, feels, and tastes like clean rain. Acid rain cannot harm people directly. You can even walk in acid rain or swim in an acidic lake and won’t be harmed, but the pollutants that cause acid rain (sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) do damage human health.

You have to understand the causes and effects of acid rain to help reduce it.

Cars and trucks are big sources of the pollutants that cause acid rain, so car manufactures are required to decrease the amount of nitrogen oxides and other pollutants released by new cars.
Other ways to reduce acid rain is to:

• Save electricity.
• Use less paper.
• Decrease emissions from mining, smelting and generating electrical power.
• Cut back on products that make CFC’s.
• Drive less.

Copyright Basti 2011

Further reading and resources:

The effects of acid rain on automotive coatings