Acid Rain Essay -- Environmental Science

INTRODUCTION The term acid rain refers to the process of deposition or precipitation of hydrogen ions with a pH value below 5.0, in the atmosphere. These acidic substances are produced by the pollutants on the earth that are airborne. These acidic precipitates will pour down as water droplets along with normal rain water whose pH lie between 5.0 and 5.6 creating hazardous effects on the living organisms of earth. HISTORY The cause of acid rain is mainly due to industrial pollutants. Acid rain was first reported during the Industrial Revolution in England in 1852.A Scottish chemist by name Robert Angus Smith discovered the same. [Briney A, 2001]However the term ‘Acid Rain’ was coined in the year 1972 by the scientist in his book,†Air and Rain: The Beginnings of Chemical Climatology â€Å".Awareness towards acid rain started to increase rapidly among people from then on. In today’s date even a small kid is taught about acid rain and made to understand the importance of preserving the environment from pollution. ACID RAIN FORMATION Air is polluted by both natural and artificial sources. The major contributors of acid rain are the oxides of sulphur and oxides of nitrogen. These oxides released through pollutants settle in the atmosphere. They then combine with the moisture in the atmosphere to form acid rain. The acid rain thus collected in the cloud gets released along with the raindrops of normal water thereby forming acid rain [J.N.B Bell, 1981] .The rain water that pours down will obviously contain the most harmful sulphuric acid and nitric acid. The effects created by this acid rain unimaginable. They just burn the living being alive in seconds creating a permanent destruction to the earth. CAUSES As seen earlier, the major con... ...hould take care that we do not become the root cause for the day on which the whole world will get drenched in acid rain. Nature is precious. Every individual must realize this fact and start their action to create a green and clean environment in future, as always prevention is better than cure! Works Cited Briney A, The Causes, History and Effects of Acid Rain, 2001 J.N.B Bell, An update on acid rain: A UK Viewpoint, 1981 Lane C A, Acid Rain –Overview and Abstracts, 2003 Epa, Available at, http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/surface_water.html, Accessed on 13th August 2010 Wolosz T, Effects of Acid Rain, SUNY Plattsburgh States College, New York, 2005 Trotman G, Acid rain – A review of the phenomenon in the EEC & Europe, 1983 Kneese A, Measuring the benefits of clean air and water, 1984 BrimbleCombe P, Acid Rain –Deposition to Recovery, 2007