Acid rain, caused by natural and man-made emissions, can cause severe environmental damage. It alters the pH balance of soil and water, depleting nutrients and killing plants and aquatic life. It can also harm human health and damage buildings and monuments. Updated emission standards are needed to reduce its impact.
Acid rain is precipitation contaminated with highly acidic particles. It occurs both as a result of natural activities, such as volcanic eruptions, and due to the collection of anthropic particles and emissions into the atmosphere. According to many environmental experts and scientists, severe environmental and even structural damage can be caused by acid rain, leading many to call for updated emission standards that would reduce man-made acid precipitation.
When some chemical gases such as sulfur dioxide, ammonium or nitrogen are expelled into the atmosphere, they can combine with water molecules to create acid clouds. These clouds can be pushed around by wind and atmospheric changes, eventually releasing precipitation in the form of acid rain, snow, sleet, fog, or other precipitation types. Damage is caused when the acidic nature of this precipitation mixes with anything it hits, including soil, stone, plants, or water.
Acid rain damage takes many forms and can have many outcomes. Generally, precipitation causes a change in the pH balance of anything it touches, resulting in a change in chemical composition. According to studies, these chemical alterations can have devastating effects on all types of ecosystems and can even pose a danger to human health and civilization.
Depletion of nutrients in the soil is a common type of acid rain damage. When acidic water compounds hit the soil, they can leach vital nutrients that make the soil fertile. Sufficient contamination can lead to patches of soil becoming unable to support life, cutting off the nutritional supply line to all plants in the affected area. Chemicals from rain leach into the soil, allowing the buildup of harmful chemicals, such as aluminum, that can kill plants. From this point on, the destruction piles up, as the resulting plant death leads to a decrease in habitat and food sources for the resident animal, bird, and insect populations.
The damage caused by acid rain can also be extremely dangerous to water-based ecosystems. When acidic water falls into a lake or stream, the pH balance drops and harmful chemicals, such as aluminum and mercury, are released into the water body. Many aquatic species are extremely sensitive to acid and cannot hatch eggs or survive in contaminated water; in addition, increased acid levels can kill aquatic plants and microorganisms, destroying the main food sources of many aquatic creatures.
In human society, some studies have linked the damage caused by acid rain to cancers and other diseases. This dangerous precipitation can also be extremely destructive to some types of stone, such as limestone and marble, and has caused great damage to many ancient buildings, bridges, monuments and works of art. The damage caused by acid rain has prompted many governments to implement protection and restoration efforts to preserve national monuments, including the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Parthenon in Athens.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
