The Acid Rain Threat

Acid rain has become one of the alarming environmental problems in the world today. It has seriously affected natural ecosystems all over the world and pose a threat to the survival of a variety of plant and animal life. If left unchecked, acid rain may do considerable damage to lakes, forests and other natural habitats.

How acid is acid rain?

Acid rain is brought about by the emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere. These emissions reach into the atmosphere and undergo a series of chemical reactions. As they are being transformed, these chemicals are then absorbed by moisture in the clouds. And as the moisture form into water droplets, they fall back into Earth in the form of rain, snow and other forms of precipitation. By this time, the emissions have transformed into acidic compounds that make their way into lakes, rivers, soil, and forests.

Effects of acid rain

Acidity can affect how a certain habitat can support life. A certain environment that has seen a substantial increase in its acidity can greatly affect how plant and animal lifeforms grow and develop. A good example would be in the acidification of aquatic habitats. Highly acidic pollutants can cause mass fish mortalities in lakes, rivers and other aquatic environments. Even a slow acidification process can have a great impact on aquatic life. Different fish species may suffer from acid stress which can cause the inability of the females to spawn normally. And even if some species do spawn, the delicate offspring may not be able to survive the highly acidic waters.

Acid rain can also affect plant life especially those on land. The acid from the rain can do considerable damage to trees at high elevations. Although acid rain may not kill the trees directly, they can contribute to its demise by damaging its leaves. This limits the supply of nutrients that trees need. Acid rain can also affect trees from underground. As the acid compounds from the rain or snow seep through the ground, they dissolve some of the essential nutrients and minerals in the soil that the trees and other plants need to grow and develop. The acid compounds can also react with other soil substances and create other toxic substances that may be absorbed and can do further harm to plants and trees.

Acid rain can also affect the human way of life in a number of ways. One would be the damage it can cause to buildings and other man-made structures. Acid is a very corrosive substance and can help in speeding up the deterioration of stone, metals and other building materials. The acidic compounds brought about by acid rain can slowly eat through such materials and can weaken the integrity of buildings and other structures much faster than normal. This can add up to a considerable expense on the part of establishment owners due to added repair or renovation costs.

Acid rain can also affect general human health indirectly. Pollutants such as sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide in acid rain has been identified to cause a variety of serious disorders in humans. These pollutants form fine particles that mix themselves in the surrounding air. When these particles are inhaled and find their way into the lungs, they can cause several serious respiratory ailments such as asthma and bronchitis. Such particles are also seen to aggravate heart disorders, cause inflammation and damage tissues.

Where is it coming from?

Acidic compounds can be introduced into the atmosphere through natural as well as unnatural means. Natural phenomena that can contribute to the introduction of acidic gases and substances include volcanic eruptions as well as a number of biological processes that occur naturally such as those found in wetlands and in the oceans.

Heavy industry has also contributed greatly to the increase of acidic gases in the atmosphere which have resulted to the incidence of acid rain all over the world. Factories emit large amounts of sulfur and nitrogen compounds into the air daily. The burning of fossil fuels to satisfy the world's energy needs has also been known to contribute to the worsening condition of acid rain incidence all over the world. All these human activities have been seen to add into the worsening problem of acid rain.

What can be done?

The high incidence of acid rain today has become a worldwide problem that requires a global solution. A possible solution would be in minimizing the emission of highly acidic compounds brought about by the burning of fossil fuels. Conserving energy has been seen as a practical solution that everyone may be able to do in order to become a part of the solution.

Collective energy conservation efforts on a global scale can do a lot to help tone down the adverse effects of acid rain and help protect the environment, preserve a better future for the coming generations and make this world a better place to live in.