Acid Rain

             When the thought of acid rain arises, a thought of burning acid falling from the sky destroying everything in sight may come to mind; and as absurd as this sounds it is not that far from the truth. Acid rain is a form of air pollution. It is formed when oxides of sulfur and nitrogen combine with atmospheric moisture to yield sulfuric and nitric acids, which may then be, carried long distances from a source before being deposited by rain. This pollution may also take the form of snow, fog, or a dry form of precipitation. For rain to be considered acidic, it has to have a pH level of less that 5.6. The corrosive nature of acid rain causes widespread damage to the environment. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil are the primary sources of the development of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.
             Acid rain is thought to have originated during the Industrial Revolution when concerns for the environment were not a priority. It is predominantly found in North Americas East Coast, parts of Northern Europe, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. Acid rain causes nutrients from the soil to disappear, it causes trees to grow slower, and it is also responsible for the death of aquatic life in most lakes. Acid rain is responsible for the corrosion on most buildings and structures by accelerating the period of their natural wear and tear. It is also believed that acid rain is responsible for forming urban smog, which attacks the lungs causing severe health problems for the young and elderly.
             The formation of acid rain starts off with the burning of fossil fuels. Burning is a chemical reaction in which oxygen from the air combines with carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and other elements in the substance that is being burned. The new compounds that are being formed are cases called oxides. When sulfur and nitrogen are present in the substance being burned, their reaction with oxygen yields sulfur dioxide and various nit...

More Essays:

APA     MLA     Chicago
Acid Rain. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 04:58, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/73915.html