ACID RAIN Negative Effects on Humans & Crucial Measures to Prevent it

What is ACID RAIN?

Acid rain also known as acid deposition is a form of precipitation that consists of sulfuric acid and nitric acid which falls down in the atmosphere in wet forms. This includes rain, snow, hail or even consists dust that comes in the form of acid rain.

 Because of ambient levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, all rainwater has little bit acidic pH level. pH can reduce in high amount through particular pollutants causing it to pose a danger to the environment. On rainwater’s pH, sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides can have a dramatic effect.

In order to make them more acidic, rain contaminated through these compounds changes the pH of water and soil. Particular trees and fish have adapted to specific pH levels and transformations in pH can kill them, leaving parts of forests, lakes and rivers lacking of life.

Immediate Effect of ACID RAIN on Humans

Acid precipitation do not have immediate effects on human beings health, whereas acid tends to bring to mind the picture of caustic chemicals dissolving metals and alternative materials. Acid rain does not consists acidic enough pH to burn human skin.

Based on the study taken by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “As compared to people swimming or walking in clean water, swimming and walking in an acidic puddle does not causes any harm.” However, acid rain cannot burn your skin therefore it is linked to miscellaneous indirect health problems/issues.

Although, acid rain cannot harm human immediately, the sulfur dioxide creates health problems for human beings. Particularly, sulfur dioxide particles in the air can motivate chronic lung issues such as asthma and bronchitis.

In addition to this, the nitrogen oxides that generate acid rain promote the formation of ground-level ozone. While ozone high above the Earth helps block ultraviolet radiation, base level ozone promotes severe lung issues such as acute pneumonia and emphysema.

Acid rain tends to come in thick acidic fog that hangs low, affecting visibility and causing irritation to eyes and nose when acid rains fall at places located at higher altitudes. Trees and plants are greatly affected thus the acidic fog causes their leaves to turn brown and wilt.

Acid rain even causes environmental imbalance despite of the affects of acid rain on air quality. Direct fall of acid rain on trees and crops can cause harm. Getting off from acid rain drain minerals like aluminium from soil, whereas reducing its pH and making the soil acidic. Acidic soil is harmful for the crop growth and hence results in damaged harvests.

The great disturbance is caused due to the balance of these aquatic ecosystems and causes injury or even death of aquatic organisms when the acidic runoff flows into lakes, rivers and seas. The fishing industry also gets affected through the imbalance in aquatic ecosystems.

Reaction of ACID RAIN on Materials

All acidic deposition is not wet. Most often dust particles can become acidic as well and this refers to dry deposition. The moment acid rain and dry acidic particles fall to earth, the nitric and sulfuric acid that makes particles acidic can be placed on statues, buildings and other man made structures and damage their surfaces. Metals get damaged because of acidic particles and cause paint and stone to worsen in no time. They even cause dust particles on the building surface and miscellaneous structures like monuments.

The results of this damage can be expensive:

• Damaged materials that require repair and replacement.

• High maintenance price

• Loss of information on stone and metal statues, monuments and tombstones.

Important Measures to Prevent Acid Rain

The planet that has been inherited from our parents is not similar planet that we will be offering to our children. Along with the high burning of our nonrenewable fossil fuels in power plants, factories and cars, humans today have created acid rain pollution, i.e. present precipitation has high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. This has destroyed effects on our oceans, lakes and rivers all the animals that occupy them. Following are the tips mentioned below and get to know about the minor steps that you can take to avoid acid rain pollution.

ENERGY CONSERVATION: The major step that you can take to avoid acid rain is to diminish your energy consumption. Switch off the lights when you leave the room and turn off computers and televisions when not using them. Whenever you are not using an electrical appliance better to simply shut it off for energy consumption. Next large consumer of energy is your home’s heating and cooling system. Ensure to utilize your air conditioning only when you actually require it. Even, when moving out of the house, make sure to turn down your heater’s thermostat. Though, it will cost you less and save high energy.

TRANSPORTATION: It is crucial to look out for an alternate modes 

of transportation in an effort to diminish our reliance on fossil fuels because cars are a great contributor to acid rain pollution. With this you are helping diminish auto emissions by using public transit, carpools, bikes and also your feet. It is yet better to not use car whenever possible. By preventing acid rain, you will be helping the environment and can become contributor.

ALTERNATIVE FUELS: Not using non renewable fuels is an excellent way to get rid of acid rain. It is good to use renewable sources of energy like solar wind and water energy. As the technology for these alternate energies boosts up, they will become more accessible to the public. Better try use the solar powered heating systems and battery-powered cars to do your part for the environment.

SOLUTION TO ACID RAIN

Nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide is released as acid rain is majorly caused through coal burning power plants, we should investigate what are the procedures that can be done related to operations, the fuels and the facilities of these power plants.

Decreasing Pollution

First and foremost, power plants utilizes coal that consists less sulphur contained. As an impurity, sulphur is present in coal and it reacts with air when the coal is burned to form sulphur dioxide. Next option is to wash the coal to remove some of the sulfur. Power plants can even install devices called scrubbers to chemically prevent the sulphur dioxide from the gasses releasing the smokestacks of the power plants.  On the other hand, power plants can change their fuels by utilizing natural gas. Well, burning gas creates much less sulfur dioxide as compared to coal.

 Alternative Sources of Energy

Further next method to diminish acid rain is to produce energy without using fossil fuels. Rather, we can use renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. Renewable energy sources help decrease acid rain as they create much less pollution. There are even other sources of electricity like nuclear power, hydropower and geothermal energy. From the following, nuclear and hydropower are utilized on a broad range. From all sectors of the society to promote renewable energy sources, more efforts are needed.

Cleaner Cars

The major sources of the pollution that causes acid rain are cars and trucks. Whereas, one car alone does not produce much pollution, all the cars on the road added together create large number of pollution. Catalytic converter is one type of technology used in cars. For over 20 years, this piece of equipment has been utilized in order to diminish the amount of nitrogen oxides released by cars. Natural gas which is a cleaner fuel is also another gas that is being used by few latest cars. For over twenty years now, these devices have been implemented and it is crucial to keep them working properly. The constant changes have been made by EPA to gasoline that permits it to burn cleaner.

Knowing the Problems

Understanding and getting to know about the problems and its solutions, the first and foremost step is we can take to help control acid rain. We must also let others about it. We can make a difference!

Understanding the problems and focusing on its solutions is the first step we can take to help control acid rain.

Energy Conservation

One crucial step we can take is to conserve energy since energy production creates large amounts of the pollutants that cause acid rain. Well, it can be done in numerous ways like turning lights off, computers, televisions and video games and other electrical equipment when not using them. Try to limit the air conditioning. One must also conclude installing compact fluorescent bulbs rather high wattage incandescent bulbs. Utilizing low energy advantages the environment due to the energy consumed comes from fossil fuels that can lead to acid rain. We can carpool or take public transportation like buses and MTR to help cut down on air pollution from cars. Well, ethanol, propane or natural gas are all alternative fuels that can be used. Walk as much as possible and take vehicular transport only when absolutely important