Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH).Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists between 6.5 and 8.5, but acid rain has a pH level lower than this and ranges from 4–5 on average.
The air pollutants released from the burning of fossil fuels usually comes back to earth in the form of acid rain. Acid rain is a form of precipitation which has high sulfuric and nitric acids, which can also occur in the form of a fog or snow. Acid rain has numerous ecological impacts on streams, lakes, wetlands and
Impacts of acidic water and Soil acidification on plants could be minor or in most cases major. In minor cases which do not result in fatality of plant life include; less-sensitive plants to acidic conditions and or less potent acid rain. Also in minor cases the plant will eventually die due to the acidic water lowering the plants natural pH.
Air pollution can cause diseases, allergies, and even death; it can also cause harm to animals and crops and damage the natural environment (for example, climate change, ozone depletion or habitat degradation) or built environment (for example, acid rain). [3]
Diagram depicting the sources and cycles of acid rain precipitation. Freshwater acidification occurs when acidic inputs enter a body of fresh water through the weathering of rocks, invasion of acidifying gas (e.g. carbon dioxide), or by the reduction of acid anions, like sulfate and nitrate within a lake, pond, or reservoir. [1]
Some climate change effects: wildfire caused by heat and dryness, bleached coral caused by ocean acidification and heating, environmental migration caused by desertification, and coastal flooding caused by storms and sea level rise. Effects of climate change are well documented and growing for Earth's natural environment and human societies. Changes to the climate system include an overall ...
These have direct and indirect effects on the health of wildlife and their ecosystems. For example, high levels of sulfur oxides (SO x) can damage plants and stunt their growth. [23] Sulfur oxides also contribute to acid rain, harming both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Trees killed by acid rain, an unwanted side effect of burning petroleum. The combustion process of petroleum, coal and wood is responsible for increased occurrence of acid rain. Combustion causes an increased amount of nitrous oxide, along with sulfur dioxide from the sulfur in the oil. These by-products combine with water in the atmosphere to ...