Acid rain is formed when moisture in the air combines with nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide emitted by factories, power plants and vehicles that burn coal or petroleum products. These gases, in interaction with water vapor, forming sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Finally, these chemicals fall to earth accompanied by the precipitation, forming acid rain. Acid rain is considered any precipitation with a pH less than 5.65. In networks of study of acid rain have been launched in various countries, have identified numerous precipitation with pH values \u200b\u200bbelow 5.
From the beginning it was suspected that there was a relationship between air pollution and the acidity of rainfall. The chemical composition of rainwater depends on the composition of the upper atmosphere, where drops are formed by condensation, and also of the substances present in the path of drops from the upper atmosphere to the ground. You can travel hundreds or thousands of miles away before precipitating in the form of dew, rain, rain, hail, snow or fog. precipitation is then able to incorporate the existing pollutants in the air.
effects on ecosystems.
In the forests have been observed mostly direct damage caused by these deposits of particles that can be converted in acidic later, but also by the fog and rain with very low pH. Moreover, some of the effects of what has been called the decline of forests should be quite possibly the influence of acid rain on soils that are depleted of basic mineral elements. This process of impoverishment is a very important indirect effect in which the protons, H +, from acid rain, soil creep certain ions. For example, cations of iron, calcium, aluminum, lead, zinc.
As a result there is an impoverishment of certain essential nutrients called plant stress, which makes them more vulnerable to pests. Nitrates and sulfates, together with the cations leached from soils, contributing to eutrophication of rivers and lakes, reservoirs and coastal regions, damaging natural environmental conditions adversely affecting its use. In lakes and rivers have also noticed decreases in pH due to acid rain. On many occasions there has been a declining number of plant and animal species, as many of them are sensitive to acidification. (Forest in Slovakia near an industry) Effects on infrastructure.
Acid rain, for its corrosive nature, corrodes buildings and infrastructure. May be dissolved, for example, calcium carbonate, CaCO3, thus affecting the monuments and buildings constructed with marble or limestone.
Possible solutions.
can take certain remedial measures to counter the current process of acid rain. Some of these measures are:
• Reduce the maximum level of sulfur in different fuels.
• Promote the use of natural gas in various industries.
• The conversion to gas on vehicles and government business enterprises.
• Expansion of the electrical transport.
• Installation of monitoring equipment at various establishments.
• Do not add many chemicals on crops.
• Addition of an alkaline compound in lakes and rivers to neutralize the pH.
• Control of combustion conditions (temperature, oxygen, etc.).
Sources:
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www.es.wikipedia.org Wikipedia
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Kalipedia www.kalipedia.org
• Acid Rain
Madrid, SM, set. 1993, 32 psv illus, maps. Translated by: Fernando Bort. Original title: Acid rain
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