Write a brief note on acid rain.
Answers
Answer:
It is rain with high levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It may be defined as "rain water having pH less than 5.6". Acid rain can have harmful effects on plants, animals and humans. It is caused when gaseous compounds of ammonium, carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur are released into the atmosphere.
Explanation:
What is Acid Rain?
Acid Rain as the name suggests can be said to be the precipitation of acid in the form of rain in the simplest manner. When atmospheric pollutants like oxides of nitrogen and sulphur react with rainwater and come down with the rain, then this results in Acid Rain.
Causes of Acid Rain
The causes of acid rain are Sulfur and Nitrogen particles which get mixed with the wet components of rain. Sulfur and Nitrogen particles which get mixed with water are found in two ways either man-made i.e as the emissions are given out from industries or by natural causes like how a lightning strike in the atmosphere releases nitrogen ions and sulphur is released from volcanic eruptions.
The regular clean rain we experience, even though it is not clean i.e water and carbon dioxide react together to form weak carbonic acid which essentially by itself is not extremely harmful.
Effects of Acid Rain
Acid rain is very harmful to agriculture, plants, and animals. It washes away all nutrients which are required for the growth and survival of plants. Acid rain affects agriculture by the way how it alters the composition of the soil.
- It causes respiratory issues in animals and humans.
- When acid rain falls down and flows into the rivers and ponds it affects the aquatic ecosystem.
- As it alters the chemical composition of the water, to a form which is actually harmful to the aquatic ecosystem to survive and causes water pollution.
- Acid rain also causes the corrosion of water pipes. Which further results in leaching of heavy metals such as iron, lead and copper into drinking water.
- It damages the buildings and monuments made up of stones and metals
Prevention of Acid Rain
- The only precaution that we can take against acid rain is having a check at the emission of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur.
- We have so far seen the details of acid rain and its harmful effect on animals, plants and the monuments.
- Being responsible citizens, one should be aware of the harmful effects they cause and of the industries which give out nitrogen and sulphur compound wastes unethically.