How can we help stop acid rain?
Answer:
Acid Rain is a broad term used to describe how acid falls from the sky. It can be wet or dry. It can be in the form of clouds, rain, hail, fog, snow or even dust.
Two pollutants cause Acid Rain: Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Oxide (Nox). Two-thirds of all SO2 and ¼ of NOx are byproducts of the electric power generated every day by plants all over the world—more specifically, these contaminants are produced by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal. The biggest concentrations of Acid Rain are found over the United States and Canada.
Acid Rain occurs when these two pollutant gases react in the atmosphere with oxygen, water and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. Sunlight exacerbates most of these reactions and the result is a mild solution of sulfuric and nitric acid.
If you remember back to chemistry class, everything has a pH. Pure water has a pH of 7.0. Normal rain is slightly acidic with a pH of 5.5. Statistics show that as of the year 2000, the most acidic rain falling in the United States had a pH of 4.3. Over time, the pH of lakes and streams change due to acidic rainfall. If the pH of a lake or stream falls under 5.5, several things happen: fish cannot reproduce, young fish have a hard time staying alive, deformities become more common and fish die of suffocation. If the pH falls under 5.0, the fish population will die off completely.
The effects of Acid Rain also include damage to forests and soil. The acidic compounds in the rainfall or melting snow change the chemistry of the soil. This leads to the stripping of vegetation and ultimately, less habitat to support the ecosystem.
There is no "quick" solution to stopping or reversing the effects of Acid Rain. It may take years, or even decades, for an ecosystem to recover. Some conservation organizations are using lime to help neutralize the acid rise in watersheds. However, this is costly and therefore not done extensively, has repercussions of its own and is more of a short-term fix.
Acid Rain is also harmful to architecture and transportation. The acidic components turn marble to a crumbly gypsum, and cause bridges and other structures to corrode and deteriorate. This corrosion problem applies to planes and trains as well, which results in increased maintenance costs and potentially hazardous situations.
Acid Rain takes its toll on our historic artifacts. The ventilation systems of most buildings cannot filter out acidic particles in the air. These particles are destroying works of art, including vintage books and clothing, flags, tapestries and other antiques.
Acid Rain also affects human health. The most serious side effect is respiratory problems, including asthma, dry cough. Other health problems include headache, eye, nose and throat irritation. An indirect effect is the concentration of toxic metals. Toxic particles of mercury and aluminum find their way into fruits, vegetables, and grasses. Once eaten by animals, these toxic particles are retained in their organs, and although this poses no threat to the animal, it does pose a threat to humans who consume them. Mercury has been linked to brain damage (especially in children), and aluminum is a suspected contributor to Alzheimer's disease.
So, what can we do about it? Well, a lot. Here are simple ways that you can make a difference they really do work!
Conserve electricity. Turn off lights, use compact fluorescent bulbs, turn off the TV.
When replacing an appliance, purchase those with an Energy Star rating. This goes for lighting as well.
Keep the thermostat at 68F in the winter and 72F in the summer.
Insulate your home. If you can, replace your windows with double pane glass. Don't forget to insulate your hot water heater. It's easy to do and it'll save you quite a bit on your energy bill.
Have your local utility company visit your home for a free energy inspection. They may recommend insulating doors, fixing a leaky duct system and installing a programmable thermostat.
Car pool when you can. This includes driving kids to practices, parties, etc.
Explore alternative means of transportation. Dust off your bike or break out the rollerblades. Take the bus or the train. Even just one day a week makes a huge difference.
When it's time to purchase a new vehicle, buy one with low NOx emissions (most car manufacturers websites have this information).
Maintain existing vehicles including off-road vehicles. This helps minimize emissions and maximizes fuel use.
The only way to stop it is to stop releasing so
much sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air.
MissModesty
try this link
http://www.healthgoods.com/education/env...
PongSmart
*don't forget to vote me best answer, o.k.
Well acid rain comes from Nitrogen Oxide emissions from cars. Because of incomplete combustion in the automibile, the result is leftover oxygen under pressure than combines with nitrogen and creates the NOx.
You can either stop driving or get some sort of fuel catalyst or oxy-hydrogen addon.
Acid rain comes from sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) combining with the water in the air to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4), Sulfurous acid (H2SO3), and Nitric acid (HNO3). According to the EPA: In the United States, roughly 2/3 of all SO2 and 1/4 of all NOx come from electric power generation that relies on burning fossil fuels, like coal. Reducing electricity consumption and using alternative sources like hydroelectric, wind, solar, and geothermal would help stop acid rain. Using low sulfur coal and Diesel fuel will also reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.
Advances in material science could allow cars and airplanes to produce lower NOx emissions. The optimal condition to burn gasoline or jet fuel is stoichiometric, where you have just enough air to burn the fuel. Unfortunately this produces a temperature higher than the melting point of most steel alloys. To reduce the temperature you either have to run rich (too much fuel) or lean (too little fuel). Running rich produces excess carbon monoxide and wastes fuel. Running lean produces excess NOx. Right now jet and automobile engines are running about as close to stoichiometric as they can on the lean side minimizing the excess NOx.
Finally, the best solution is fuel cells. A fuel cell can use chemical energy to produce electricity. This most efficiently uses the fuel. A hydrogen fuel cell with oxygen would only emit water. A gasoline fuel cell would emit water and carbon dioxide, but you would have to generate less CO2 to get the same amount of power as you would a heat engine.
So right now -- reduce electric consumption and use alternative sources of electricity. Long term -- use fuel cells.
stop polluting and littering!
Yes, there really was acid rain. Now, however, I think it has been taken care of. It certainly cannot be caused by cars. Originally, it was caused from heavy industrial complexes in the mid and north east. But, most of that has been cleaned up. I would like to see proof of acid rain today. Remember, there was a lot of history before you were born. The rivers of this fair country were so polluted one even burned. Sure, things are not perfect today, but we are lightyears ahead of where we were 20-30-40 yrs. ago.
Hi,
Here's a helpful site from the folks at NOAA...
http://cent.sd43.bc.ca/geo12/foc2a3c.htm...
Good Luck!
Lessen our dependence on fossil fuels and other combustables. It would be nice to have people exercising more, like walking to work, and less reliance on cars. Improving the landscape to with more plant life would also help. Planting certain speicies of trees (poplar IIRC) can also help.
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