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Essay: The Importance Of Acid Rain

1604 Words7 Pages

As per its definition, acid rain is rainfall made so acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes environmental harm, chiefly to forests and lakes. Due to the fact that acid rain is one of the contributors to environmental problems, it is necessary for us to try and prevent it from occurring and create a more sustainable environment. In order to achieve this goal, we need to identify its causes and consequences, and come up with different initiatives that people can take to reduce the amount of acid rain formed.

Causes of acid rain:
Acid rain occurs when Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) or Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) react with water, oxygen, and other substances in the atmosphere to form various acidic compounds. SO2 and NOX are released by both natural …show more content…

Lakes & Streams: Acid rain either directly falls into streams, lakes and marshes, or it flows into these after falling on forests, fields, buildings or roads. If the body of water cannot naturally neutralise the acid, which occurs due to bases naturally found in the soil of the body of water, this acid will release aluminium from the soil into the lake. This aluminium is toxic to many aquatic organisms and disturbs aquatic life as well as biodiversity in this body of water. For example, fish eggs cannot hatch if the pH value of the body of water is 5 or lower.
Forests: When acid rain falls onto the forest floor, it is absorbed by the soil. If the soil is not able to neutralise the acid, the acid will change the condition and characteristics of the soil. It will cause certain toxic substances, such as aluminium, to be released; it will dissolve and wash away nutrients and helpful minerals before trees can absorb them; and, if the forest is often confronted with acidic fog at high altitudes, it will strip away essential nutrients from leaves. All of these factors combined weaken the tree and cause slower growth, injury and in some cases, death of the tree, especially when combined with other environmental factors such as air pollution or cold

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