Acid Rain

What pollutants cause acid rain?

sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)

Why is it important that acid rain be reduced?

to preserve the integrity of natural habitats, as well as to reduce damage to man-made structures.

Acid Rain and plants in the forest

Acid rain can harm other plants in the same way it harms trees. Although damaged by other air pollutants such as ground level ozone, food crops are not usually seriously affected because farmers frequently add fertilizers to the soil to replace nutrients that have washed away. They may also add crushed limestone to the soil. Limestone is an alkaline material and increases the ability of the soil to act as a buffer against acidity.

What is 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.

How does acid rain effect forests?

Slowed growth of some forests. Soil degradation Leaves and needles turn brown and fall off when they should be green and healthy. In extreme cases, individual trees or entire areas of the forest simply die off without an obvious reason. High elevation more at risk (acid fog). Midwest better, northeast, bad soil. Other factors contribute to the overall stress of these areas, including air pollutants, insects, disease, drought, or very cold weather. In most cases, in fact, the impacts of acid rain on trees are due to the combined effects of acid rain and these other environmental stressors.

Acid Rain and the forest floor

That soil may neutralize some or all of the acidity of the acid rainwater. This ability is called buffering capacity, and without it, soils become more acidic. Differences in soil buffering capacity are an important reason why some areas that receive acid rain show a lot of damage, while other areas that receive about the same amount of acid rain do not appear to be harmed at all. The ability of forest soils to resist, or buffer, acidity depends on the thickness and composition of the soil, as well as the type of bedrock beneath the forest floor.

What does the strength of the effects of the acid rain depend on?

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.

What are ways you can reduce acid rain?

Understand its causes and effects - people need to understand how acid rain damages the environment. They also need to understand what changes could be made to the air pollution sources that cause the problem. The answers to these questions help leaders make better decisions about how to control air pollution and therefore, how to reduce—or even eliminate—acid rain Clean up smoke stacks and exhaust pipes -SD and NO are released from burning fossil fuel - new coal, scrubbers, washing the coal, natural gas, converters on cars - Co-benefits Use alternative energy sources - nuclear power, hydropower, wind energy, geothermal energy, and solar energy - natural gas, batteries, and fuel cells, available to power automobiles Restore a damaged environment - Limestone or lime (a naturally occurring basic compound) can be added to acidic lakes to "cancel out" the acidity. - it does not solve the broader problems of changes in soil chemistry and forest health in the watershed, and it does nothing to address visibility reductions, materials damage, and risk to human health Look into the future - Acid Rain program, is it really working? Individually - Turn off lights, computers, and other appliances when you're not using them. Use energy-efficient appliances: lighting, air conditioners, heaters, refrigerators, washing machines, etc. For more information, see EPA's ENERGY STAR Program Exit EPA Disclaimer. Only use electric appliances when you need them. Keep your thermostat at 68°F in the winter and 72°F in the summer. You can turn it even lower in the winter and higher in the summer when you are away from home. Insulate your home as best you can. Carpool, use public transportation, or better yet, walk or bicycle whenever possible Buy vehicles with low NOx emissions, and properly maintain your vehicle. Be well informed.

What is acid rain?

a mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. The precursors, or chemical forerunners, of acid rain formation result from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) resulting from fossil fuel combustion. Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. The result is a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Carried miles

What is wet deposition?

acidic rain, fog, and snow If the acid chemicals in the air are blown into areas where the weather is wet, the acids can fall to the ground in the form of rain, snow, fog, or mist.

Acid Rain and trees in the forest

weaken trees by damaging their leaves, limiting the nutrients available to them, or exposing them to toxic substances slowly released from the soil acidic water dissolves the nutrients and helpful minerals in the soil and then washes them away before trees and other plants can use them to grow. At the same time, acid rain causes the release of substances that are toxic to trees and plants, such as aluminum, into the soil. Wash away in the runoff and are carried into streams, rivers, and lakes