Acid Rain Effects

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Introduction
Acid rain is rain that is acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by the emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, that react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. The chemicals in acid rain can cause paint to peel, corrosion of steel structures such as bridges, and erosion of stone statues. Acid Rain have always been a problem for many countries. Countries with increase in industrial activity like china have seen an increase of acid rain.
Romano Froehlich 51958554 HES4801
4 | P a g e
2. Concept
"Acid rain" is a popular term referring to the deposition of wet (rain, snow, sleet, fog, cloudwater, and dew) and dry (acidifying particles and gases) acidic components. Distilled water, once carbon dioxide is removed, has a neutral pH of 7. Liquids with a pH less than 7 are acidic, and those with a pH greater than 7 are alkaline. "Clean" or unpolluted rain has an acidic pH, but usually no lower than 5.7, because carbon dioxide and water in the air react together to form carbonic acid, a weak acid according to the following reaction:
H2O (l) + CO2 (g) H2CO3 (aq) Carbonic acid then can ionize in water forming low concentrations of hydronium and carbonate ions: H2O (l) + H2CO3 (aq)

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