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INTRODUCTION ----------------------------PAGE 1 INDEX ------------------------------------------PAGE 2

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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

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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.

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Wet Deposition

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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.

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Dry Deposition

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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 •

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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 •

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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 •

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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 •

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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 Some of the materials pictures

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Student worthiness

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Tried and trusted. Primary biological content area covered 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:

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plastic table cloth paper towels

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Materials each student will need:

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safety goggles

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Materials each student group will need:

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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

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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.

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Math connection

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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.

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Connections to educational standards Scientific Method: 7.1 Students use scientific methods to describe,

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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.

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Lesson plan

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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.

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• Pitfalls •

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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 Chalk

Figure 5. The Bean 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 MEASURES

RECYCLE •

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.

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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 less! Use less electricity; and carpool, use public transportation, or walk when you can. This will help 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.

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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 very costly method! It is also costly to burn lowsulfur coal (low-sulfur coal gives off less sulfur in the air as opposed to high-sulfur coal).

CONSERVE ENERGY

USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

POLLUTE LESS