Acid Rain (807 words) Essay Example For Students

Acid Rain (807 words) Essay Acid RainThe damaging effects of acid rain on society is becoming overwhelmed with greatamounts of pollution from cars, factories and an large amounts of garbage. Theimmense amounts of sulphur dioxide put into the air causes high levels of acidin the atmosphere. When this sulphuric acid is absorbed into moisture in theair, then rain can be harmful to the environment. Acid rain is destroying lotsof things in our environment. It is hurting lakes, air and thew rest of ourecosystem. Acid rain is killing lakes and decreasing the number of animals inthese lakes. Acid rain greatly lowers the amounts of pH in the water. Eachdecade the pH levels of lakes around Ontario have become ten times more acidic. The high acid levels contained in lakes also causes a decrease in the number offish living in these lakes. Also the high amounts of acid in the water can leadto fish being deformed. They have messed up and out of shape backbones,flattened heads and strangely curved tails. When there gets to be a lot of acidin the water, then there is barely anything left besides rock bass, pumpkinseedand lake herring. As with sulphur dioxide in rain, mercury is also dischargedinto the water. There is a direct connection between the mercury rich lakes asthere is with those with high acidic levels. This metal becomes concentrated inthe blood and tissues of fish. Acid rain causes traumatic effects in naturallakes and rivers. Acid rain causes air quality to deteriorate. As in water, acidrain causes the pH levels in the air to decrease. The sulphur dioxide, whichdiffuses into the air, mixes with moisture causing the pH levels to drop fromthe normal level. Again, the normal level is somewhere around seven, yet in someacidic air masses the levels can be as low as three. These lowered pH levelsform a photochemical smog in the atmosphere. In the air Anitrogen oxides reactwith ozone and some hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight to formphotochemical smog, the kind of yellow-grey haze which it literally alive andgrowing in stagnant air (Howard Perley, 1980, p. 44). This smogcarries serious risk for respiratory disease and crop damage. The photochemicalsmog is also causing the ozone layer to disintegrate. The ozone layer isbecoming a part of this smog, which is causing holes in it. An inordinate amountof sulphur dioxide is let into the air, more than can be neutralized bynutrients in the air. Decrease in pH levels, photochemical smog and depletion ofthe ozone layer are some effects of acid rain in the air. The ecosystem isslowly eroding due to the increased amounts of acid in the soil. Acid in thesoil in causing the carbon dioxide respiration process to decelerate. In orderfor plants to go through photosynthesis, they need carbon dioxide. When acid inthe soil causing this soil respiration to slow down, in turn it causes thephotosynthesis process to slow down. The soil also erodes when the pH levelsdrop. The acidic levels of the soil cause nutrients in the soils such asaluminum to break apart and the soil to erode. Soil erosion also causes a lowerproduction of plants in the ecosystem. In the soil a process of decay Acalledoligotrophication, means that fewer of the ions of acid are neutralized by thedepleted biological community so the acid can cause further degeneration ofnatural processes, which in turn are less capable of combating the acid, and soon, in an accelerating (Howard Perley, 1980, p. 32). Disruptionin the life span of trees and plants is also another effect of acid rain. Theacid rain corrodes the thin, waxy layer, which coats and protects the leavesletting the acid suffocate the leaves. This can cause an interference in theplants metabolism and pho tosynthesis may be altered meaning the leaves cannotproduce and efficient amount of food which may result in death of the plant. .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f , .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f .postImageUrl , .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f , .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f:hover , .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f:visited , .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f:active { border:0!important; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f:active , .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u39a2357f947c23432013222cf21e467f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Supreme Court - Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Res EssayAcid may obtrude fertilization , stunt or kill the growth of seeds and make themsterile. A second generation would be in danger of not being produced causingdeforestation. Naturally the reduction of plants is causing the biological foodchain to weaken. As smaller animals and insects feed on these plants lose theirfood supply, they may also ensue death. In effect the animals which feed off ofthese animals also ensue a decrease in their supply. In turn humans may becomestarved if the acid rain effects increase. Acid rain causes death of soil,plants and animals, effecting the ecosystem. Acid rain is becoming a majorprobl em in our environment today. It is killing our fresh water lakes and it=soccupants. Also the quality of air is depleting, increasing the amount of smogand pollution in our atmosphere. Once the acid is absorbed in the soil, thisputs the ecosystem in jeopardy of extinction. This is killing plants, animal,and soil, which is the basis of our existence. If this acid rain problem is notdealt with urgently, the natural world may in hazard of demise.