Effects of acid rain

Acid rain is rain that is naturally acidic and has a pH level scale less than 7. Acid rain usually results from elevated levels of sulfuric and nitric acids in air pollution that are formed when gases, like sulfur and nitrogen oxides, dissolve in the water. Over the years, acid rain has become an increasingly dangerous problem with damaging effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure.

Both natural vegetation and crops are affected by acid rain. Damaged and stunted by acidic rainfall, roots are vulnerable to diseases, which cause the death of the plants. Nutrients in the soil are also destroyed by the acidity of the rain. Useful micro organisms which release nutrients from decaying organic matter into the soil are killed off, resulting in less nutrients being available for the plants. Even if the plant survives, it will be very weak and unable to survive climatic conditions like strong winds, heavy rainfall, or a short dry period. For example, acid rain has been implicated in forest and soil degradation in many areas of the eastern U.S., particularly high elevated forests of the Appalachian Mountains from Maine to Georgia that include areas such as the Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountain National Parks.

By coming into contact with exhaust gases, acid rain makes a great impact on aquatic animals. Acidic rain drops fall to the ground including the rivers, lakes, and oceans. By changing the acidity of water, acid rain causes decrease of inhabitants’ number in these fresh water bodies. As lakes and streams become more acidic, the amount of fish, aquatic plants and animals that live in these waters decrease. Acidity of water is very important. Although some plants and animals can survive acidic waters, others are acid-sensitive and will die as the pH declines. The change in food chain affects the entire ecosystem. For instance, in New York's Adirondack region, the diversity of life in these acidic waters has been greatly reduced. Fish population has disappeared and loons and otters have moved to other lakes where they can find food. In Canada, over 14,000 lakes have been acidified to the point where they have lost significant amounts of fish.

Acid rain effects can easily be seen on infrastructure. Rapidly, buildings begin to deteriorate after withstanding thousands of years. In spite of the reduction in emissions there is no clear evidence that cleaner air has brought about a reduction in building degradation. This destruction can be explained by the reaction which takes place on the stone surfaces. It is called sulphation. A process where the exposed surface of limestone dissolves away as rainfall washes away the sulphated layers. This result is commonly seen on old gravestones where the acid rain can cause the inscription to become completely illegible.

To conclude, acid rain is a problem that has a harmful effect on almost every thing due to it's acidity. The governments all over the world are trying to come up with a solution. Some already have acted by enacting new laws, some have limited the fuel use, and made power companies clean their facilities and clean their toxins they were putting out.