Acid Rain
By Ben Nathan and Justin Per.5
Acidic Rain
Acid rain is a result of air pollution. When any type of fuel is burnt, lots of different chemicals are produced. The smoke that comes from a fire or the fumes that come out of a car exhaust don't just contain the greyish black particles you can see. They also contain lots of invisible gases that are harmful to our environment.
The Effects
Plants
Acid rain does not usually kill trees directly. Instead, it is more likely to weaken trees by damaging their leaves and limiting the nutrients available to them. Often, injury or death of trees is a result of effects of acid rain in combination with one or more additional threats. Acidic water dissolves the nutrients and helpful minerals in the soil and then washes them away before trees and other plants can use them to grow.
Humans
The rain itself doesn't hurt people. But it is actually sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. It can be transported long distances by winds and inhaled deep into people's lungs. Fine particles can also penetrate indoors. There are also studies that show that when there are inceased particles there is increased illness and premature death from heart and lung disorders, such as asthma and bronchitis.
Motor Vehicles
Acid rain can affect cars in a few minor ways that can still be really expensive and worth preventing. The rain can cause paint from cars, boats, and motorcycles to peel or fade off. It can cause the color to fade and be expensive to paint again. Acid rain can also cause rusting to wheels if not protected properly and can also rust parts in the engine if it gets into the engine.
Bodies of Water
Acid rain affects the water in lakes, rivers, and ponds. It can cause the acidity of the water to change and have many effects on the organisms that live in the water. It can kill individual fish that are easily susceptible to the high acidity of the water. It can cause algae not to grow and kill off organisms that survive off the algae to die off.
Roadways
Buildings and Structures
Statues, buildings, vehicles, pipes and cables can all suffer from acidic rain. The worst affected are things made from limestone or sandstone as these types of rock are particularly susceptible and can be affected by air pollution in gaseous form as well as by acid rain. After years of this erosion from acidic rain repairs will ha to be done costing quite a lot of money.