Acid rain: an environmental problem with devastating effects on health, flora and fauna, and historical monuments.
Acid rain is an environmental phenomenon that occurs when gases emitted by human activity, such as burning of fossil fuels, react with water in the atmosphere, forming acids that fall to the ground in the form of rain. This problem has serious consequences on the environment, including the acidification of bodies of water, the degradation of historical buildings and monuments, and damage to human and animal health.
What is acid rain?
The term “acid rain” refers to the precipitation with unusually high acidity levels. It was coined in 1872 by the Scottish chemist Robert Angus Smith, who specialized in the study of air pollution. This phenomenon became a relevant environmental problem during the 80s, particularly in Europe and North America, although the regulations They have improved the situation.
However, acid rain still persists in some places, especially in industrialized regions of Asia. The pH of water is used to measure its acidity, and rain It is considered acidic when its pH is less than 5. since natural rainwater has an average pH of 5.6.
Pollution in cities causes the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere, which can lead to the formation of acid rain with serious environmental consequences.
Where does acid rain come from?
Acid rain occurs due to air pollution, where gases present in the atmosphere dissolve in raindrops and produce acid. He CO2 present in the air is transformed into carbonic acid, which explains the slight natural acidity of rainwater. However, if the amount of pollutants in the air increases, the acidity of rainwater can also increase. During the last century, the human activities and the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere have aggravated the atmospheric pollution, adding nitric and sulfuric acid to rainwater and causing the problem of acid rain. A catastrophe that, like tsunamis, has serious consequences.
Some regions of Asia, such as China and India, face serious acid rain problems due to high industrial activity and the burning of fossil fuels. This causes adverse effects on people’s health, agriculture, flora and fauna, and historical heritage.
Who is responsible for acid rain?
Acid rain can be a result of natural events such as volcanic eruptions or forest fires, but these are infrequent compared to the long-lasting emissions caused by human activity. Sectors like coal, transport, industry and power plants They are the main responsible for the release of polluting gases into the atmosphere.
Fortunately, since the 1980s, emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide have been significantly reduced thanks to the Clean Air Laws, which has led to a decrease in the frequency of acid rain. Among the gases that contribute to the acidification of rainwater, are the sulfur dioxide or SO2, which is emitted by industrial activities, volcanic eruptions and fires, nitrogen oxides or NOx, that come from sources such as electrical storms and diesel engines, and ammonia or NH3, which originates from activities such as intensive agriculture.
What have been the worst acid rain catastrophes?
One of the most famous catastrophes is the degradation of the Black Forest in Germany, which was partly attributed to acid rain caused by industrial activity and the use of fossil fuels. Another example is the contamination of the sudbury river in canada, which was so acidic that the fish could not survive. Severe cases of acid rain have also been reported in China, especially in the northern regions of the country where a lot of coal is burned for industry and heating.
The Black Forest disaster in Germany was caused by acid rain caused by industrial activity and the use of fossil fuels.
What are the risks and dangers of acid rain?
Acid rain has a negative impact on everything that comes in contact with it. flora it is the most affected since it is directly exposed to acid rain, which kills many species, sterilizes others and weakens those that survive. This favors the appearance of diseases in the survivors and makes them more vulnerable to attack by insects and fungi. Degradation of the Black Forest in Germany is partly due to acid rain, while depleted and denuded soils produce less and disturb agriculture, horticulture and plant development in general.
About acid rain, we can also say that it contaminates the waters in which it falls, especially lakes and rivers, making them toxic and unbalancing the ecosystem surrounding area, from the fish that live there to the the trees that border them and animals who drink there Some lakes have seen all the aquatic species that inhabited them disappear. In the United States, acid rain has caused the erosion of limestone rocks that, when dissolved in rivers, have increased the pH of the water and made it difficult to convert it into drinking water.
The fauna also suffers due to the acidification of the waters, the impoverishment of the soil and the weakening of the flora. Although the aquatic species are directly affected, others may experience a decrease in their food resources in quality or quantity, as well as a transformation of their habitat or ecosystem. Finally, buildings are also degraded by acid rain, which causes the erosion of limestone and corrosion of metals. Many famous monuments, from the Taj Mahal to the Colosseum, are suffering from the effects of atmospheric acidity.
Acid rain causes damage to historic buildings and monuments around the world, eroding materials such as stone and metal.