Acid rain is caused by low pH precipitation combining with acidic particles in the air and settling on land and water. The primary cause is sulfur from coal-fired power plants, while nitrogen oxides from fossil fuels and ammonia from animal production also contribute. Acid rain can harm aquatic life, soil ecology, forests, and historic structures. Natural sources of sulfur include volcanoes, fires, bacterial activity, and phytoplankton. Nitrogen oxides are becoming a major concern as more controls are imposed on sulfur use.
Acid rain is a broad term describing low pH precipitation that combines with acidic particles in the air and settles on land and water. The primary cause of acid rain is sulfur which reacts in the atmosphere to turn into sulfur dioxide. The main source of this sulfur is coal-fired power plants, while secondary acid rain causes for sulfur can be natural, such as volcanoes and bacterial activity. Nitrogen oxides are the other main cause of acid precipitation. These gases usually come from the burning of fossil fuels, particularly in power plants and automobiles.
Generally, normal rain tends to be a bit on the acidic side, with a pH below 7. The introduction of acidic molecules from acid deposition, including precipitation and particle falloff itself, can lower the pH of water dramatically and the surrounding environment. soils. These effects of acid rain can be quite devastating to aquatic life, soil ecology and forests, particularly in mountainous areas. Acid rain causes accelerated erosion of many hard substances, such as metal and stone, resulting in rapid degradation of historic structures and works of art that have withstood the elements for long periods of time.
Most of the causes of acid rain come from pollution generated by the burning of fossil fuels. Much of the coal burned to generate electricity contains sulfur. When burned in a power plant, this sulfur enters the atmosphere and reacts with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide. Some municipalities have introduced large smokestacks in their power plants to avoid pollution in their communities. This results in pollutants entering the atmosphere at higher levels and contributing to acid rain problems over a wider area.
There are also natural sources of sulfur that contribute to acid precipitation. Such causes of organic acid rain include volcanoes, which produce about one-tenth the amount of sulfur produced by human activities. Fires are another source of sulfur, as are bacterial activities on land and in water. Phytoplankton produce sulfur emissions, and part of the ocean’s distinctive odor is due to these sulfur compounds.
Another major source of acid rain is nitric oxide compounds, which react in the atmosphere to form nitric acid. Such chemicals are becoming a major concern as more controls are imposed on the use of sulfur. These compounds are produced when fossil fuels, including coal, are burned in power plants. Automobiles are also a major source of nitrogen oxides. As automobile use increases worldwide, so does the production of these compounds.
One cause of acid rain is ammonia, a different nitrogen-containing compound that also ends up in the atmosphere. It is produced as a waste product from animal production. Livestock raised by humans is also a major contributor to acid rain. The electrical activity of lightning also adds to the acidic nitrogen in the atmosphere.
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