Acid Rain :: essays research papers

ACID RAINWhen fogy fuels such as coal, gasoline, and fuel oils atomic number 18 burned, they emitoxides of sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen into the air. These oxides melt withmoisture in the air to form sulfuric acerbic, carbonic acid, and nitric acid. Whenit rains or snows, these acids are brought to Earth in what is called acid rain.During the course of the twentieth century, the acidity of the air and acid rainhave come to be recognized as a leading threat to the stability and fiber ofthe Earths environment. Most of this acidity is produced in the industrializednations of the Northern Hemisphere--the United States, Canada, Japan, and someof the countries of Eastern and westbound Europe.The effects of acid rain can be devastating to many forms of life, includinghuman life. Its effects can be closely vividly seen, however, in lakes, rivers, andstreams and on vegetation. Acidity in piss kills close to all life forms. Bythe early 1990s tens of thousands of lakes had been destr oyed by acid rain. Theproblem has been most severe in Norway, Sweden, and Canada.The threat make up by acid rain is not limited by geographical boundaries, forprevailing winds carry the pollutants around the globe. For example, muchresearch supports the conclusion that contamination from coal-powered electricgenerating stations in the midwestern United States is the ultimate try of thesevere acid-rain problem in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States.Nor are the destructive effects of acid rain limited to the natural environment.Structures do of stone, metal, and cement have also been damaged or destroyed.Some of the worlds great monuments, including the cathedrals of Europe and theColosseum in Rome, have shown signs of deterioration ca gived by acid rain.Scientists use what is called the pH factor to measure the acidity oralkalinity of liquid solutions. On a scale from 0 to 14, the number 0 representsthe highest level of acid and 14 the most basic or alkaline. A so lution ofdistilled water containing neither acids nor alkalies, or bases, is designated 7,or neutral. If the pH level of rain go below 5.5, the rain is consideredacidic. Rainfalls in the eastern United States and in Western Europe often range