Acid Rain
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Ac id Rai n
Bautista, Justin Kevin S.
Introduction
Air Pollution - “any alteration of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the atmosphere, or any discharge thereto of any liquid, gaseous or solid substances that will or is likely to create or to render the air resources of the country harmful, detrimental, or injurious to public health, safety or welfare or which will adversely affect their utilization for domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other legitimate purposes.” (Republic Act No. 3931)
Definition
Acid Rain
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 The more accurate term is "acid precipitation." results from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and manmade sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) resulting from fossil fuel combustion.
Did you know?
Clean or unpolluted rain is also ACIDIC Carbon dioxide and water in the air react together to form carbonic acid, a weak acid H2O (l) + CO2 (g) → H2CO3 (aq)
Definition
SO2
Toxic colorless gas produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes.
NO2
produced during combustion, especially combustion at high temperatures.
Definition
Wet Deposition
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
Dry Deposition
The acid chemicals may be incorporated into dust or smoke and fall into the ground when the weather is dry and will stick to the ground, buildings, homes, cars and trees. About 20-60% of the acidity in the atmosphere falls back to earth through dry
History
Since the Industrial Revolution, emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere have increased Acid rain was first found in Manchester, England In 1852, Robert Angus Smith found the relationship between acid rain and atmospheric pollution. Though acid rain was discovered in 1852, it wasn't until the late 1960s that scientists began widely observing and studying the phenomenon.
History (con’t.)
Canadian Harold Harvey was among the first to research a "dead" lake. Public awareness of acid rain in the U.S increased in the 1990s after the New York Times promulgated reports from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire of the myriad deleterious environmental effects demonstrated to result from it.
Measurement of Acid Rain
pH Scale
Used to measure the amount of acid in liquid-like water The smaller the number on the pH scale, the more acidic the substance is
Measurement of Acid Rain
National Atmospheric Deposition Program
Measures wet deposition and developed maps of rainfall pH and other important precipitation chemistry measurements.
Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET)
Measures dry deposition
Effects of Acid Rain
Acid rain causes acidification of lakes and streams and contributes to the damage of trees at high elevations and many sensitive forest soils. Accelerates the decay of building materials and paints, including irreplaceable buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of a nation's cultural heritage. Contribute to visibility degradation and harm public health.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals
Most lakes and streams have a pH between 6 and 8 primarily affects sensitive bodies of water, which are located in watersheds whose soils have a limited ability to neutralize acidic compounds (called “buffering capacity”) Lakes and streams become acidic (i.e., the pH value goes down) when the water itself and its surrounding soil cannot buffer the acid rain enough to neutralize it.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals
In areas where buffering capacity is low, acid rain releases aluminum from soils into lakes and streams; aluminum is highly toxic to many species of aquatic organisms.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals The acidification problem grows
in magnitude if “episodic acidification” is taken into account. Episodic acidification refers to brief periods during which pH levels decrease due to runoff from melting snow or heavy downpours. Mass fish mortalities occur when episodic acidification happens. More often, fish gradually disappear from these waterways as their environment slowly becomes intolerable.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals
Even those species that appear to be surviving may be suffering from acid stress in a number of different ways. One of the first signs of acid stress is the failure of females to spawn. Other effects of acidified lakes on fish include: decreased growth, inability to regulate their own body chemistry, reduced egg deposition, deformities in young fish and increased susceptibility to naturally occurring diseases.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals
As water pH approaches
Effects
6.0
Crustaceans, insects, and some plankton species begin to disappear.
5.0
Major changes in the makeup of the plankton community occur. Less desirable species of mosses and plankton may begin to invade. The progressive loss of some fish populations is likely, with the more highly valued species being generally the least tolerant of acidity.
Less than 5.0
The water is largely devoid of fish. The bottom is covered with undecayed material. Mosses may dominate the nearshore areas. Terrestrial animals, dependent on aquatic ecosystems, are affected.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals
The figure shows that not all fish, shellfish, or the insects that they eat can tolerate the same amount of acid; for example, frogs can tolerate water that is more acidic (i.e., has a lower pH) than trout.
Effects on Forests
Acid rain, acid fog and acid vapor damage the surfaces of leaves and needles, reduce a tree's ability to withstand cold, and inhibit plant germination and reproduction Tree vitality and regenerative capability are reduced. Depletes supplies of important nutrients (e.g. calcium and magnesium) from soils.
Effects on Forests
Differences in soil buffering capacity are again an important reason why some areas that receive acid rain show a lot of damage, while other areas that receive about the same amount of acid rain do not appear to be harmed at all The ability of forest soils to resist, or buffer, acidity depends on the thickness and composition of the soil, as well as the type of bedrock beneath the forest floor.
Effects on Forests
However, trees can be damaged by acid rain even if the soil is well buffered Forests in high mountain regions often are exposed to greater amounts of acid than other forests because they tend to be surrounded by acidic clouds and fog that are more acidic than rainfall. Essential nutrients in their leaves and needles are stripped away when leaves are frequently bathed in this acid fog
Effects on Forests
This loss of nutrients in their foliage makes trees more susceptible to damage by other environmental factors, particularly cold winter weather. Acid rain can harm other plants in the same way it harms trees although food crops are not usually seriously affected because farmers frequently add fertilizers to the soil to replace nutrients that have washed away.
Effects on Automobiles
Over the past two decades, there have been numerous reports of damage to automotive paints and other coatings. The reported damage typically occurs on horizontal surfaces and appears as irregularly shaped, permanently etched areas The damage can best be detected under fluorescent lamps, can be most easily observed on dark colored vehicles, and appears to occur after evaporation of a moisture droplet The damage is permanent
Effects on Materials and Visibility
Acid rain and the dry deposition of acidic particles contribute to the corrosion of metals (such as bronze) and the deterioration of paint and stone (such as marble and limestone). These effects significantly reduce the societal value of buildings, bridges, cultural objects (such as statues, monuments, and tombstones), and cars Dry deposition of acidic compounds can also dirty buildings and other structures,
Effects on Materials and Visibility
Buildings and monuments are damaged since the sulfuric acid in the rain chemically reacts with the calcium compounds in the stones (limestone, sandstone, marble and granite) to create gypsum, which then flakes off
Effects on Human Health
Acid rain looks, feels, and tastes just like clean rain 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)
Effects on 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.
Who are most affected?
Occasional pH readings of well below 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) have been reported in industrialized areas Industrial acid rain is a substantial problem in China, Eastern Europe, Russia and areas down-wind from them. These areas all burn sulfur-containing coal to generate heat and electricity. The use of tall smokestacks to reduce local pollution has contributed to the spread of acid rain by releasing gases into regional atmospheric circulation
Acid Rain Reduction
It is critical that acid deposition be reduced, not only in the United States and Canada, but also throughout the world to preserve the integrity of natural habitats, as well as to reduce damage to man-made structures. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken steps to limit the amount of NOx and SO2 emitted into the atmosphere because they are the main contributors to acid deposition
Acid Rain Reduction
Additionally, individuals and society as a whole can participate in various efforts to help reduce acid deposition:
Understand acid deposition’s causes and effects Clean up smokestacks and exhaust pipes Use alternative energy sources Restore a damaged environment Take action as individuals
Bautista, Justin Kevin S.
Introduction
Air Pollution - “any alteration of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the atmosphere, or any discharge thereto of any liquid, gaseous or solid substances that will or is likely to create or to render the air resources of the country harmful, detrimental, or injurious to public health, safety or welfare or which will adversely affect their utilization for domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other legitimate purposes.” (Republic Act No. 3931)
Definition
Acid Rain
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 The more accurate term is "acid precipitation." results from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and manmade sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) resulting from fossil fuel combustion.
Did you know?
Clean or unpolluted rain is also ACIDIC Carbon dioxide and water in the air react together to form carbonic acid, a weak acid H2O (l) + CO2 (g) → H2CO3 (aq)
Definition
SO2
Toxic colorless gas produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes.
NO2
produced during combustion, especially combustion at high temperatures.
Definition
Wet Deposition
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
Dry Deposition
The acid chemicals may be incorporated into dust or smoke and fall into the ground when the weather is dry and will stick to the ground, buildings, homes, cars and trees. About 20-60% of the acidity in the atmosphere falls back to earth through dry
History
Since the Industrial Revolution, emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere have increased Acid rain was first found in Manchester, England In 1852, Robert Angus Smith found the relationship between acid rain and atmospheric pollution. Though acid rain was discovered in 1852, it wasn't until the late 1960s that scientists began widely observing and studying the phenomenon.
History (con’t.)
Canadian Harold Harvey was among the first to research a "dead" lake. Public awareness of acid rain in the U.S increased in the 1990s after the New York Times promulgated reports from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire of the myriad deleterious environmental effects demonstrated to result from it.
Measurement of Acid Rain
pH Scale
Used to measure the amount of acid in liquid-like water The smaller the number on the pH scale, the more acidic the substance is
Measurement of Acid Rain
National Atmospheric Deposition Program
Measures wet deposition and developed maps of rainfall pH and other important precipitation chemistry measurements.
Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET)
Measures dry deposition
Effects of Acid Rain
Acid rain causes acidification of lakes and streams and contributes to the damage of trees at high elevations and many sensitive forest soils. Accelerates the decay of building materials and paints, including irreplaceable buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of a nation's cultural heritage. Contribute to visibility degradation and harm public health.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals
Most lakes and streams have a pH between 6 and 8 primarily affects sensitive bodies of water, which are located in watersheds whose soils have a limited ability to neutralize acidic compounds (called “buffering capacity”) Lakes and streams become acidic (i.e., the pH value goes down) when the water itself and its surrounding soil cannot buffer the acid rain enough to neutralize it.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals
In areas where buffering capacity is low, acid rain releases aluminum from soils into lakes and streams; aluminum is highly toxic to many species of aquatic organisms.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals The acidification problem grows
in magnitude if “episodic acidification” is taken into account. Episodic acidification refers to brief periods during which pH levels decrease due to runoff from melting snow or heavy downpours. Mass fish mortalities occur when episodic acidification happens. More often, fish gradually disappear from these waterways as their environment slowly becomes intolerable.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals
Even those species that appear to be surviving may be suffering from acid stress in a number of different ways. One of the first signs of acid stress is the failure of females to spawn. Other effects of acidified lakes on fish include: decreased growth, inability to regulate their own body chemistry, reduced egg deposition, deformities in young fish and increased susceptibility to naturally occurring diseases.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals
As water pH approaches
Effects
6.0
Crustaceans, insects, and some plankton species begin to disappear.
5.0
Major changes in the makeup of the plankton community occur. Less desirable species of mosses and plankton may begin to invade. The progressive loss of some fish populations is likely, with the more highly valued species being generally the least tolerant of acidity.
Less than 5.0
The water is largely devoid of fish. The bottom is covered with undecayed material. Mosses may dominate the nearshore areas. Terrestrial animals, dependent on aquatic ecosystems, are affected.
Effects on Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals
The figure shows that not all fish, shellfish, or the insects that they eat can tolerate the same amount of acid; for example, frogs can tolerate water that is more acidic (i.e., has a lower pH) than trout.
Effects on Forests
Acid rain, acid fog and acid vapor damage the surfaces of leaves and needles, reduce a tree's ability to withstand cold, and inhibit plant germination and reproduction Tree vitality and regenerative capability are reduced. Depletes supplies of important nutrients (e.g. calcium and magnesium) from soils.
Effects on Forests
Differences in soil buffering capacity are again an important reason why some areas that receive acid rain show a lot of damage, while other areas that receive about the same amount of acid rain do not appear to be harmed at all The ability of forest soils to resist, or buffer, acidity depends on the thickness and composition of the soil, as well as the type of bedrock beneath the forest floor.
Effects on Forests
However, trees can be damaged by acid rain even if the soil is well buffered Forests in high mountain regions often are exposed to greater amounts of acid than other forests because they tend to be surrounded by acidic clouds and fog that are more acidic than rainfall. Essential nutrients in their leaves and needles are stripped away when leaves are frequently bathed in this acid fog
Effects on Forests
This loss of nutrients in their foliage makes trees more susceptible to damage by other environmental factors, particularly cold winter weather. Acid rain can harm other plants in the same way it harms trees although food crops are not usually seriously affected because farmers frequently add fertilizers to the soil to replace nutrients that have washed away.
Effects on Automobiles
Over the past two decades, there have been numerous reports of damage to automotive paints and other coatings. The reported damage typically occurs on horizontal surfaces and appears as irregularly shaped, permanently etched areas The damage can best be detected under fluorescent lamps, can be most easily observed on dark colored vehicles, and appears to occur after evaporation of a moisture droplet The damage is permanent
Effects on Materials and Visibility
Acid rain and the dry deposition of acidic particles contribute to the corrosion of metals (such as bronze) and the deterioration of paint and stone (such as marble and limestone). These effects significantly reduce the societal value of buildings, bridges, cultural objects (such as statues, monuments, and tombstones), and cars Dry deposition of acidic compounds can also dirty buildings and other structures,
Effects on Materials and Visibility
Buildings and monuments are damaged since the sulfuric acid in the rain chemically reacts with the calcium compounds in the stones (limestone, sandstone, marble and granite) to create gypsum, which then flakes off
Effects on Human Health
Acid rain looks, feels, and tastes just like clean rain 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)
Effects on 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.
Who are most affected?
Occasional pH readings of well below 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) have been reported in industrialized areas Industrial acid rain is a substantial problem in China, Eastern Europe, Russia and areas down-wind from them. These areas all burn sulfur-containing coal to generate heat and electricity. The use of tall smokestacks to reduce local pollution has contributed to the spread of acid rain by releasing gases into regional atmospheric circulation
Acid Rain Reduction
It is critical that acid deposition be reduced, not only in the United States and Canada, but also throughout the world to preserve the integrity of natural habitats, as well as to reduce damage to man-made structures. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken steps to limit the amount of NOx and SO2 emitted into the atmosphere because they are the main contributors to acid deposition
Acid Rain Reduction
Additionally, individuals and society as a whole can participate in various efforts to help reduce acid deposition:
Understand acid deposition’s causes and effects Clean up smokestacks and exhaust pipes Use alternative energy sources Restore a damaged environment Take action as individuals
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