Acid Rain

-Acidic- National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/acid-rain-overview/

Acidic Def: possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH).

-Acid Deposition- "Glossary." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/glossary.html#aciddeposition

Acid Deposition Def: Acidic materials that fall from the atmosphere to the Earth in either wet (rain, sleet, snow, fog) or dry (gases, particles) forms. More commonly referred to as acid rain, acid deposition has two components: wet and dry deposition.

-Weakening Soil- "Effects of Acid Rain - Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/surface_water.html

Acid rain primarily affects sensitive bodies of water, which are located in watersheds whose soils have a limited ability to neutralize acidic compounds Lakes and streams become acidic when the water itself and its surrounding soil cannot buffer the acid rain enough to neutralize it. In areas where buffering capacity is low, acid rain releases aluminum from soils into lakes and streams; aluminum is highly toxic to many species of aquatic organisms.

-Acid Rain- National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/acid-rain-overview/

Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic. It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure (also known as acid deposition)

-Acid Rain- "Effects of Acid Rain - Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/surface_water.html

Acid rain flows into streams, lakes, and marshes after falling on forests, fields, buildings, and roads.

-Environmental Effects- Animals EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/foodweb.html

Animals Acid rain can cause serious problems for many different animals and plants. As a result, the entire food web is affected. For example, acid rain can cause phytoplankton in lakes to die. Insects, which rely on phytoplankton for food, now have less food to eat, and they begin to die as a result. These insects are a source of food for many other animals, such as fish, birds, frogs, and salamanders. As the insects die, there is now less food for these animals. This process continues up the entire food web. So, although acid rain may not directly affect a certain species of plant or animal, it can affect the entire food web by limiting the amount of food available.

-Environmental Effects- Aquatic Destruction Galegroup.com http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GPS&userGroupName=j209901&tabID=T003&searchId=R3&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=4&contentSet=GALE%7CA379639190&&docId=GALE|A379639190&docType=GALE&role=ITOF

Aquatic Destruction Fish cannot survive in an acidic lake, river or stream because the acidic water disrupts their reproductive cycle. Also, the acid in the water causes aluminum to leach from the soil into the water, clogging the fish's gills and altering their blood chemistry. As the water becomes more acidic, one species after another disappears.

-Atmospheric Deposition- "Resource Assessment Service." Maryland Department of Natural Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/streams/atmosphericDeposition.asp

Atmospheric Deposition Def: Atmospheric deposition is the process, long recognized by scientists, whereby precipitation (rain, snow, fog), particles, aerosols, and gases move from the atmosphere to the earth's surface. Materials reaching the earth in precipitation or as dry deposition originate from a variety of air pollution sources and can be harmful to the environment and public health.

-Prevention- EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/beingdone.html

Because nitrogen oxides are created in the process of burning coal and other fossil fuels, some power plants are changing the way they burn coal. A great way to reduce acid rain is to produce energy without using fossil fuels. Instead, people can use renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. and EPA program

-Buffering Capacity- "Glossary." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/glossary.html#bufferingcapacity

Buffering Capacity Def: The ability of a substance to resist changes in pH when acid or bases are added.

-Building Decay- "Acid Rain - Causes and Effects - Conserve Energy Future." ConserveEnergyFuture. N.p., 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2015. http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-acid-rain.php

Building Decay Acid rain on buildings, especially those constructed with limestone, react with the minerals and corrode them away. This leaves the building weak and susceptible to decay. Modern buildings, cars, airplanes, steel bridges and pipes are all affected by acid rain. Irreplaceable damage can be caused to the old heritage buildings.

-Plant Effects- Wald, Matthew L. "Fossil Fuels' Hidden Cost Is in Billions, Study Says." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/science/earth/20fossil.html

Burning fossil fuels costs the United States about $120 billion a year in health costs, mostly because of thousands of premature deaths from air pollution, the National Academy of Sciences reported in a study issued Monday.

-Causes- EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatcauses.html

Causes Man Made plants release the majority of sulfur dioxide and much of the nitrogen oxides when they burn fossil fuels, such as coal, to produce electricity exhaust from cars, trucks, and buses releases nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide into the air

-Causes- "Acid Rain - Causes and Effects - Conserve Energy Future." ConserveEnergyFuture. N.p., 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2015. http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-acid-rain.php

Causes Natural such as erupting volcanoes, rotting vegetation and sea sprays produce sulfur dioxide fires, bacterial decomposition and lightening generate nitrogen dioxide. The chemicals released by natural sources gets mixed up with water and oxygen and are disperse over large areas because of wind patterns.

-Prevention- Conservation "Reducing Acid Rain." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/reducing/

Conserve Energy Since energy production creates large amounts of the pollutants that cause acid rain, one important step you can take is to conserve energy. You can do this in a number of ways: Turn off lights, computers, televisions, video games, and other electrical equipment when you're not using them. Encourage your parents to buy equipment that uses less electricity, including lights, air conditioners, heaters, refrigerators, and washing machines. Such equipment might have the Energy Star label. Try to limit the use of air conditioning. Ask your parents to adjust the thermostat when you go on vacation.

-Humans- Anzovin, Steven. Preserving the World Ecology. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1990. Print. Pollution unlimited. France Brquette The Courier (Unesco) 42:24-30 '89

Despite widespread concern about pollution, humans continue to inflict irreversible damage on the natural environment. Emissions of carbon dioxide, the most widespread pollutant, are contributing to the greenhouse effect or the heating of Earth's atmosphere. The deforestation of mountain areas is reducing the number of trees, which are needed to absorb carbon dioxide, and is causing flooding. deposits of the acid produced by burning coal are destroying lakes and adversely affecting forests and buildings. Heavy metals are polluting the atmosphere, the soil, and the water table. National and international efforts are under way to fight pollution, but they are hampered by a power economic and social interests.

-Dry Deposition- "Glossary." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/glossary.html#GlossD

Dry Deposition Def: The falling of small particles and gases to the Earth without rain or snow. Dry deposition is a component of acid deposition, more commonly referred to as acid rain.

-Dry Deposition- "What Is Acid Rain?" EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what/

Dry Deposition 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.

-Prevention- EPA Program EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/beingdone.html

EPA Program Congress passed a law called the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, and this law said that EPA should start the Acid Rain Program. The program limits, or puts a cap on, the amount of sulfur dioxide that power plants can release into the air and issues allowances to the power plants to cover their sulfur dioxide emissions. It also reduces the amount of nitrogen oxides that power plants can release.

-Environment Effects- Quenqua, Douglas. "After Acid Rain, Lakes Are Turning to 'Jelly'." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/science/after-acid-rain-lakes-are-turning-to-jelly.html

Environment Effects Tiny, jelly-clad crustaceans known as Holopedium are thriving in some Canadian lakes after years of acid rain, threatening the food chain and "jellifying" the waters, say biologists. Unlike other "water fleas," Holopedium can survive on very little calcium, making them ideally suited to the calcium-depleted waters of lakes exposed to pollution. But their hard, jelly-protected bodies cause problems for others, clogging up filtration systems, removing nutrients from the food chain and washing up in the form of "goo balls." A study published in The Proceedings of the Royal Society B says the population of Holopedium in Ontario lakes doubled between the 1980s and mid-2000s.

-Humans- Health Problems "Effects of Acid Rain - Human Health." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/health.html

Health Problems 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.

-Humans-

Humans Human activities and appliances play a negative part on acid rain development Their actions can also result in many health problems due to pollution effects.

-Acid Rain- "Measuring Acid Rain." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://epa.gov/acidrain/measure/index.html

Measuring Acid Rain Acid rain is measured using a scale called "pH." The lower a substance's pH, the more acidic it is.

-Humans- Anzovin, Steven. Preserving the World Ecology. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1990. Print. Don't blame me. George Reiger Feild & Streem 92:14+ Ag '87

Most people refuse to acknowledge that mankind is its own worst enemy. History is full of examples of civilizations that collapsed because increasing human populations destroyed the local environment. Today the population explosion, with its resultant plagueof garbage and waste, threatens to produce the same conditions of a worldwide case.

-Nitrogen Oxide Effects- "Health." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/oaqps001/nitrogenoxides/health.html

Nitrogen Oxide Effects (NOx, NO2) Current scientific evidence links short-term NO2 exposures, ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours, with adverse respiratory effects including airway inflammation in healthy people and increased respiratory symptoms in people with asthma. studies show a connection between breathing elevated short-term NO2 concentrations, and increased visits to emergency departments and hospital admissions for respiratory issues, especially asthma.

-Nitrogen Oxides- "Glossary." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/glossary.html

Nitrogen oxides (NOx, NO2) Def: A group of gases made up of nitrogen and oxygen that cause acid rain and other environmental problems, such as smog and eutrophication of coastal waters. Burning fossil fuels, such as coal and gasoline, releases NOx into the atmosphere.

-PH Balance- "Chapter 3 - Streams." Stream PH. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/management/joysmanual/streamph.html

PH Balance The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is considered to be neutral. Substances with pH less than 7 are acidic, while substances with pH greater than 7 are basic. The pH of most natural waters ranges between 6.5 and 8.5.

-Alternative Energy Sources- Solar Power "Solar Power." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power

Solar Power the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP). Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam.

-Sources of Acid Rain- EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatcauses.html

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.

-Sulfur Dioxide Effects- "Health." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/oaqps001/sulfurdioxide/health.html

Sulfer Dioxide (SO2) effects Studies show a connection between short-term exposure and increased visits to emergency departments and hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses, particularly in at-risk populations including children, the elderly, and asthmatics.Current scientific evidence links short-term exposures to SO2, ranging from 5 minutes to 24 hours, with an array of adverse respiratory effects

-Air Pollution- "Why Should You Be Concerned about Air Pollution? | Plain English Guide to The Clean Air Act." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/airquality/peg_caa/concern.html

Sulfer Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide pollute the air and create acid rain. carbon dioxide increases from death of trees and causes global warming and atmospheric pollution Air pollution can damage trees, crops, other plants, lakes, and animals. In addition to damaging the natural environment, air pollution also damages buildings, monuments, and statues. It not only reduces how far you can see in national parks and cities, it even interferes with aviation.

-Sulfur Dioxides- "Glossary." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/glossary.html#GlossS

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Def: A naturally occuring gas made of sulfur and oxygen that causes acid rain. Burning fossil fuels, such as coal, releases SO2 into the atmosphere.

-Prevention- The Clean Air Act http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GPS&userGroupName=j209901&tabID=T003&searchId=R5&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA397134159&&docId=GALE|A397134159&docType=GALE&role=ITOF

The Clean Air Act has been a roaring success if you're looking at how much pollution falls out of the sky. Emissions of sulfur dioxide from power plants--the pollutant that causes most acid rain--plummeted nationally from 17.5 million tons in 1980 to 5.5 million tons in 2012. That decline is astonishing in anybody's book.

-Trees and Forests- "Acid Rain Facts, Acid Rain Information, Acid Rain Pictures, Acid Rain Effects - National Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/acid-rain-overview/ "Acid Rain - Causes and Effects - Conserve Energy Future." ConserveEnergyFuture. N.p., 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2015. http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-acid-rain.php

Trees and Forests Acid rain also damages forests, especially those at higher elevations. It robs the soil of essential nutrients and releases aluminum in the soil, which makes it hard for trees to take up water. Trees' leaves and needles are also harmed by acids. It makes trees vulnerable to disease, extreme weather, and insects by destroying their leaves, damaging the bark and arresting their growth. Trees that absorb CO2 die and global warming increases.

-Water Pollution- "Effects of Acid Rain - Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/surface_water.html

Water Pollution Acid rain runs off into lakes, rivers, stream, etc. and pollutes the water. The waters PH balance drops and it becomes more acidic. The ecological effects of acid rain are most clearly seen in the aquatic, or water, environments, such as streams, lakes, and marshes.Acid rain also falls directly on aquatic habitats. Most lakes and streams have a pH between 6 and 8, although some lakes are naturally acidic even without the effects of acid rain.

-Wet Deposition- "Glossary." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/glossary.html#GlossW

Wet Deposition Def: The process by which chemicals are removed from the atmosphere and deposited on the Earth's surface via rain, sleet, snow, cloudwater, and fog.

-Wet Deposition- "What Is Acid Rain?" EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what/

Wet Deposition If the acid chemicals in the air are blown into areas where the weather is wet, the acids can fall to the ground. 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.

-Alternative Energy Sources- Wind Power "Wind Power." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power

Wind Power extracted from air flow using wind turbines or sails to produce mechanical or electrical power. Windmills are used for their mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping, and sails to propel ships.