What can acid rain destroy? Acid precipitation: abnormal rainfall

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Acid rain is a mixture of materials, both wet and dry, that fall to the earth from the atmosphere. They contain increased level nitric and sulfuric acids. In simple terms, this means that the rain becomes acidic due to the presence of pollutants in the air. The air changes its composition due to emissions from cars and production processes. The main component of acid rain is nitrogen. Acid rain also contains sulfur.

The combustion of fossil fuels and industry, which primarily emits nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), are causing irreversible changes in the atmosphere. Acidity is determined based on the pH level in the water droplets. Normal rainwater has a slightly acidic environment with a pH range of 5.3-6.0. Carbon dioxide and water present in the air together react to form carbonic acid, which is a weak acid. When the pH level of rainwater falls below this range, the above-mentioned precipitation forms.

When these gases react with water and oxygen molecules, sulfuric and nitric acids are formed, among other chemicals found in the atmosphere. They are also called chemical compounds of medium acidity. They usually lead to weathering of matter, corrosion of metal, and peeling of paint on the surface of buildings.

Volcanic eruptions also contain certain chemicals that can cause acid rain. In addition, the burning of fossil fuels, the operation of factories and vehicles as a result of human activities also lead to an increase in the acidity of formations in the atmosphere.

Currently, a large number acid precipitation observed in Southeastern Canada, Northeastern states of America and most European countries. Russia, Sweden, Norway and Germany suffer greatly from them, at least that’s what impartial statistics say. In addition, in lately Acid precipitation is observed in South Asia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and South India.

Forms of precipitation

Acid precipitation comes in two forms

Each of them affects the earth's surface differently. And each of them consists of various chemical elements. It is believed that dry forms of precipitation are more harmful, since they spread over vast distances, often crossing not only the borders of cities, but also states.

Wet precipitation

When the weather is humid, acids fall to the ground in the form of rain, sleet, or fog. The climate adjusts, driven by the need to respond. Acids are removed from the atmosphere and deposited in earth's surface. When the acid reaches the ground, it has negative impact for a large number of species of animals, plants and aquatic organisms. Water enters rivers and canals, which mix with sea water, thereby influencing marine environment habitat.

Dry precipitation

It is a mixture of acidic gases and particles. About half of the acidity in the atmosphere falls back to earth through dry deposition. If the wind blows in areas where the weather is dry, acidic pollutants turn into dust or smoke and fall to the ground as dry particles. These substances have a negative impact on cars, houses, trees and buildings. Almost 50% of acidic pollutants from the atmosphere are returned through dry precipitation. These acidic pollutants can be washed off the surface of the earth by rainfall. Then the level of acidity of water resources increases even more.

If wet precipitation sooner or later evaporates back into the atmosphere, then in forests dry precipitation clogs the pores of tree leaves.

Story

Acid rain and interesting facts they have been known for quite some time. Acid rain was first mentioned back in the 1800s, during the Industrial Revolution. Scottish chemist Robert Angus Smith was the first to report this phenomenon in 1852. He devoted his life to researching the connection between acid rain and air pollution in Manchester, England. His work only came to public attention in the 1960s. The term was coined in 1972 when The New York Times published reports on the effects of climate change on forest growth.

Acid precipitation is a source of both natural and man-made disasters. But here the opposite effect occurs. It is these disasters that are most often the sources of acid rain. The main reason for this is the combustion of fossil fuels, which is accompanied by emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.

Natural springs

Natural sources of problematic precipitation:

The main natural cause of acid rain is volcanic emissions. Volcanoes emit acid-forming gases that create abnormal acidity. Against this backdrop, record amounts of precipitation fall. The earth suffers from phenomena such as fog and snow. Vegetation and the health of residents in the vicinity of volcanic formations suffer.
Rotting vegetation forest fires And biological processes in the environment and generate acid rain, forming gases.
Dimethyl sulfide is a typical example of the main biological sources of sulfur-containing elements in the atmosphere. It is its emissions that react with water molecules using electrical activity. Nitric acid becomes acid rain.

Technogenic sources

Human activities resulting in the release of chemical gases such as sulfur and nitrogen are the main cause of acid rain. It is we, people, who are to blame for the fact that the atmosphere is destroying the planet. This activity is related to. It is the consequences of man-made activities that lead to emissions of sulfur and nitrogen from factories, energy facilities and cars. In particular, the use of coal for electricity generation is the largest source of emissions gaseous substances, which leads to acid rain.

Cars and factories also release large amounts of gaseous emissions into the air. The worst thing is that this process is repeated daily, especially in industrialized areas of the city with a large number car movement. These gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen and other chemicals with the formation of various acidic compounds, for example, sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate and nitric acid. These experiments result in extremely high amounts of acid rain.

Existing winds carry these acidic mixtures to large areas across borders. They fall back to earth in the form of acid rain or other forms of precipitation. Having reached the ground, they spread over the surface, absorbing into the soil and ending up in lakes, rivers and finally mixing with sea water.

The gases sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are mainly derived from electricity through the combustion of coal and are the cause of acid rain.

Consequences of acid rain

Acid rain has a significant impact on environment and public health. Impact on aquatic environment very large. Acid rain either falls directly onto bodies of water or flows through forests, fields and roads into streams, rivers and lakes. Over a period of time, acids accumulate in the water and lower the pH level. Aquatic plants and animals require a certain pH level. It needs to stay around 4.8 to survive. If the pH level drops below, conditions become hostile to the survival of aquatic organisms.

Acid rain tends to change the pH and concentration of aluminum. This greatly affects the pH concentration level in the surface layer of water, thereby affecting fish as well as other aquatic life forms. When the pH level is below 5, most eggs will not hatch.

Below levels can also kill adult fish. Sediment from watersheds that is discharged into rivers and lakes reduces biodiversity in rivers and lakes. The water becomes more acidic. Many species, including fish, plants and various insects in lakes, rivers and streams, have become sick and some have even been eliminated entirely due to excess acid rain entering water resources.

Politicians, scientists, environmentalists and researchers are ringing the bells, trying to convey to people. Unlike wet precipitation, dry precipitation is more difficult to measure. When acid deposits, harmful organisms from the surface of the earth are washed into lakes and streams, which can cause uncontrollable climate change.

Recently, due to the general deterioration ecological situation On our planet, such an unpleasant environmental phenomenon as acid rain is happening more and more often. Acid rain occurs due to the interaction of air and water in upper layers atmospheres with various pollutants.

History of acid rain

The first acid rain in history was recorded back in 1872, just during the heyday of industrialization and mass construction of factories. Needless to say, by the 20th century this phenomenon had become many times more frequent and, of course, we, the inhabitants of the 21st century, inherited it.

Causes of acid rain

What are the causes of acid rain? Ecologists divide them into anthropogenic and natural. Anthropogenic causes of acid rain are related to human action and include:

Emissions of various nitrogen and sulfur oxides from plants and factories. Once in the atmosphere, they interact with water vapor, resulting in the formation of sulfuric acid, which falls with such acid rain.
Exhaust gases, another source of air pollution, are also another cause of acid rain.

The natural causes of acid rain are not associated with human activity; as a rule, they occur as a result of volcanic eruptions, then a large amount of nitrogen-containing substances also enters the atmosphere, upon interaction with which they form nitric acid falling with acid rain.

Consequences of acid rain

What are the effects of acid rain? Negative consequences many:

death of crops,
water pollution,
reduction in forest area,
diseases in people.

Contact with acid rain increases the risk of diseases such as asthma, allergies, and cancer. Acid rain pollutes rivers and lakes, making water unusable, which can kill huge fish populations. Because of acid rain, the soil becomes polluted and loses its fertility, and as a result, the harvest decreases. Plants also suffer from them, trees’ leaves fall and root development is inhibited, plants become sensitive to temperature changes.

Ways to solve the problem of acid rain

The main step to solve the environmental problem of acid rain, as well as the problem, is to reduce the emission of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. industrial waste, the use of cleaning filters in factories and factories. And in the future, the creation of environmentally friendly production, in general, everything modern technologies should be implemented only after assessing their impact on the environment.

A gradual transition to environmentally friendly electric vehicles will also be a step towards overcoming the problem of acid rain. The first such Tesla cars are already slowly gaining popularity, and we really want to believe that in the future they will become ubiquitous, and gasoline cars will become a thing of history, just like old steam trains, for example, became.

Acid rain video

And finally, a short educational video about acid rain.

Acid rain - all types of meteorological precipitation - rain, snow, hail, fog, sleet - in which there is a decrease in the pH of rainfall due to air pollution with acidic oxides, usually sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides

Acid rain is one of the terms that industrialization brought to humanity.

First mentioned back in 1872, the concept became truly relevant only in the second half of the 20th century.

All rainwater has a certain level of acidity. But in the normal case, this indicator corresponds to a neutral pH level - 5.6-5.7 or slightly higher.

Prerequisites for increasing the acidity of atmospheric water arise when industrial enterprises emit large volumes of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides. The most typical sources of such pollution are automobile exhaust gases, metallurgical production and thermal power plants(CHP). Unfortunately, modern level The development of purification technologies does not allow filtering out nitrogen and sulfur compounds that arise as a result of the combustion of coal, peat, and other types of raw materials that are used in industry.

Consequences of acid rain

1 Acid rain significantly increases the acidity of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, as a result of which their natural flora and fauna gradually die out. As a result of changes in the ecosystem of water bodies, they become swamped, clogged, and have increased silt. In addition, as a result of such processes, water becomes unsuitable for human use. It increases the content of heavy metal salts and various toxic compounds, which under normal conditions are absorbed by the microflora of the reservoir.

2 Acid rain leads to forest degradation and plant extinction. They especially suffer coniferous trees, since the slow renewal of foliage does not give them the opportunity to independently eliminate the effects of acid rain. Young forests are also very susceptible to such precipitation, the quality of which is rapidly declining. With constant exposure to water increased acidity, trees die.

3 In the USA and Europe, acid rain is one of the common causes of poor harvests and the extinction of agricultural crops over vast areas. Moreover, the reason for such damage lies both in the direct effect that acid rain has on plants and in disturbances in soil mineralization.

4 Acid rain causes irreparable damage to architectural monuments, buildings, and structures. The action of such precipitation causes accelerated corrosion of metals and failure of mechanisms.

5 Given the current acidity that acid rain has, in some cases it can cause direct harm to humans and animals. First of all, people in the zones increased danger suffer from upper respiratory tract diseases. However, the day is not far off when the saturation of harmful substances in the atmosphere will reach a level at which sufficiently high concentrations of sulfuric and nitrate acid will fall out in the form of precipitation. In such a situation, the threat to human health will be significantly higher.

It is almost impossible to deal with precipitation itself. Falling over vast areas, acid rain causes significant damage, and there is no constructive solution to this problem.

Another thing is that in the case of acid rain, it is critically necessary to combat not the consequences, but the causes of this phenomenon. The search for alternative sources of energy production, environmentally friendly vehicles, new production technologies and technologies for purifying emissions into the atmosphere is an incomplete list of what humanity must attend to so that the consequences do not become catastrophic.

Acid phrases have become commonplace in modern life, especially in urban life. Summer residents often complain that after such unpleasant precipitation, plants begin to wither, and a whitish or yellowish coating appears in puddles.

What is it

Science has a definite answer to the question of what acid rain is. These are all known whose water levels are below normal. The norm is considered to be pH 7. If the study shows an underestimation of this figure in precipitation, it is considered acidic. In the context of an ever-growing industrial boom, the acidity of rain, snow, fog and hail is hundreds of times higher than normal.

Reasons

Acid rain falls again and again. The reasons lie in toxic emissions from industrial facilities, car exhaust gases, and, to a much lesser extent, in the decay of natural elements. The atmosphere is filled with sulfur and nitrogen oxides, hydrogen chloride and other acid-forming compounds. The result is acid rain.

There are precipitations with alkaline content. They contain calcium or ammonia ions. The concept of “acid rain” also applies to them. This is explained by the fact that, when such precipitation gets into a reservoir or soil, it affects the change in the water-alkaline balance.

What does acid precipitation cause?

No good oxidation surrounding nature, of course, does not entail. Acid rain is extremely harmful. The reasons for the death of vegetation after such precipitation lie in the fact that many useful elements are leached from the earth by acids, in addition, there is contamination with dangerous metals: aluminum, lead and others. Contaminated sediments cause mutations and death of fish in water bodies, and improper development of vegetation in rivers and lakes. They also have a detrimental effect on the normal environment: they significantly contribute to the destruction of natural facing materials and cause accelerated corrosion of metal structures.

Having become familiar with general characteristic Given this atmospheric phenomenon, we can conclude that the problem of acid rain is one of the most pressing from an environmental point of view.

Scientific research

It is important to take a closer look at the scheme of chemical pollution of nature. Acid rain is the cause of many environmental disturbances. This characteristic of precipitation appeared in the second half of the 19th century, when the British chemist R. Smith discovered the content of vapor and smoke hazardous substances, which greatly change the chemical picture of precipitation. In addition, acid rain is a phenomenon that spreads over vast areas, regardless of the source of pollution. The scientist also noted the destruction that contaminated sediments entailed: plant diseases, loss of color in tissues, accelerated spread of rust, and others.

Experts are more precise in defining what acid rain is. After all, in reality it is snow, fog, clouds and hail. Dry precipitation with a lack of atmospheric moisture falls in the form of dust and gas.

to nature

Lakes are dying, the number of fish schools is decreasing, forests are disappearing - all these are terrible consequences of the acidification of nature. Soils in forests do not react as sharply to acidification as water bodies, but plants react very negatively to all changes in acidity. Like an aerosol, harmful precipitation envelops foliage and pine needles, saturates trunks, and penetrates the soil. Vegetation receives chemical burns, gradually weakening and losing the ability to survive. Soils lose fertility and saturate growing crops with toxic compounds.

Biological resources

When a study of lakes in Germany was carried out, it was found that in reservoirs where the water indicator deviated significantly from the norm, the fish disappeared. Only in some lakes were single specimens caught.

Historical heritage

Seemingly invulnerable human creations also suffer from acid precipitation. The ancient Acropolis, located in Greece, is famous throughout the world for the outlines of its mighty marble statues. Centuries do not spare natural materials: noble rock is destroyed by winds and rains, the formation of acid rain further intensifies this process. When restoring historical masterpieces, modern masters did not take protective measures metal connections from rust. The result is that acid rain, oxidizing iron, causes large cracks in statues, marble cracks due to the pressure of rust.

Cultural monuments

The United Nations has initiated research into the impact of acid precipitation on objects cultural heritage. During them it was proven negative consequences the effects of rain on the most beautiful stained glass windows of cities Western Europe. Thousands of colored glasses are at risk of falling into oblivion. Until the 20th century, they delighted people with their durability and uniqueness, but recent decades, marred by acid rain, threaten to destroy the magnificent stained glass paintings. Sulfur-rich dust destroys antique leather and paper items. Ancient products under the influence lose their ability to resist atmospheric phenomena, become fragile and may soon crumble into dust.

Ecological disaster

Acid rain is serious problem for the survival of humanity. Unfortunately, the reality modern life require more and more expansion industrial production, which increases the volume of toxic The population of the planet is increasing, the standard of living is rising, there are more and more cars, energy consumption is going through the roof. At the same time, only thermal power plants Russian Federation Every year they pollute the environment with millions of tons of anhydride containing sulfur.

Acid rain and ozone holes

Ozone holes are just as common and a more serious concern. Explaining the essence of this phenomenon, it must be said that this is not a real rupture of the atmospheric shell, but a disturbance in the thickness of the ozone layer, which is located approximately 8-15 km from the Earth and extends into the stratosphere up to 50 km. The accumulation of ozone largely absorbs harmful solar ultraviolet radiation, protecting the planet from extreme radiation. This is why ozone holes and acid rain are threats normal life planets that require the closest attention.

Integrity of the ozone layer

The beginning of the twentieth century added chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to the list of human inventions. Their features were exceptional stability, lack of odor, non-flammability, and lack of toxic influence. CFCs gradually began to be widely introduced into the production of various cooling units (from cars to medical complexes), fire extinguishers, and household aerosols.

Only towards the end of the second half of the twentieth century, chemists Sherwood Roland and Mario Molina suggested that these miracle substances, otherwise called freons, have a strong effect on ozone layer. At the same time, CFCs can “hover” in the air for decades. Gradually rising from the ground, they reach the stratosphere, where ultraviolet radiation destroys freon compounds, releasing chlorine atoms. As a result of this process, ozone is converted into oxygen much faster than under normal natural conditions.

The scary thing is that it only takes a few chlorine atoms to modify hundreds of thousands of ozone molecules. In addition, chlorofluorocarbons are considered to be gases that create greenhouse effect and those involved in the process global warming. To be fair, it is worth adding that nature itself also contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer. Thus, volcanic gases contain up to one hundred compounds, including carbons. Natural freons contribute to the active thinning of the ozone-containing layer above the poles of our planet.

What can you do?

Finding out what the dangers of acid rain are is no longer relevant. Now on the agenda in every state, at every industrial enterprise, measures to ensure the cleanliness of the surrounding air must first be placed.

In Russia, giant factories such as RUSAL, in recent years began to approach very responsibly this issue. They spare no expense in installing modern, reliable filters and treatment facilities that prevent oxides and heavy metals from entering the atmosphere.

Increasingly, alternative methods of obtaining energy are being used that do not entail dangerous consequences. Wind and solar energy (for example, in everyday life and for cars) is no longer science fiction, but a successful practice that helps reduce the volume of harmful emissions.

Expansion of forest plantations, cleaning of rivers and lakes, proper recycling of waste - all this effective methods in the fight against environmental pollution.

Lately, you can often hear that acid rain has begun. It occurs when nature, air and water interact with various pollutants. Such precipitation gives rise to a number of negative consequences:

diseases in humans;
death of agricultural plants;
reduction of forest areas.

Acid rain occurs due to industrial emissions chemical compounds, combustion of petroleum products and other fuels. These substances pollute the atmosphere. Ammonia, sulfur, nitrogen and other substances then react with the moisture, causing the rain to become acidic.

For the first time in human history acid rain was recorded in 1872, and by the twentieth century this phenomenon had become very common. Acid rain causes the most damage to the United States and European countries. In addition, ecologists have developed special card, which identifies the areas most susceptible to dangerous acid rain.

Causes of acid rain

The causes of toxic rain are man-made and natural. As a result of the development of industry and technology, plants, factories and various enterprises began to emit huge amounts of nitrogen and sulfur oxides into the air. So, when sulfur enters the atmosphere, it reacts with water vapor to form sulfuric acid. The same thing happens with nitrogen dioxide; nitric acid is formed and falls out along with precipitation.

Another source of air pollution is exhaust gases road transport. Once in the air, harmful substances oxidize and fall to the ground in the form of acid rain. Nitrogen and sulfur are released into the atmosphere as a result of the combustion of peat and coal at thermal power plants. Huge amounts of sulfur oxide enter the air during metal processing. Nitrogen compounds are released during the production of building materials.

Some of the sulfur in the atmosphere is natural origin For example, after a volcanic eruption, sulfur dioxide is released. Nitrogen-containing substances can be released into the air as a result of the activity of certain soil microbes and lightning discharges.

Consequences of acid rain

The consequences of acid rain are many. People caught in such rain can ruin their health. Given atmospheric phenomenon causes allergies, asthma, cancer. Rain also pollutes rivers and lakes, making the water unfit for consumption. All residents of water areas are in danger; huge populations of fish may die.

Acid rain, falling on the ground, pollutes the soil. This depletes the fertility of the land and the number of harvests decreases. Since precipitation fall over large areas, they negatively affect trees, which contributes to their drying out. As a result of the influence of chemical elements, metabolic processes in trees change and root development is inhibited. Plants become sensitive to temperature changes. After any acid rain, trees can suddenly lose their leaves.

One of the less dangerous consequences of toxic precipitation is the destruction of stone monuments and architectural objects. All this can lead to the collapse of public buildings and homes of a large number of people.

The problem of acid rain needs to be seriously considered. This phenomenon directly depends on human activities, and therefore the amount of emissions that pollute the atmosphere should be significantly reduced. When air pollution is reduced to a minimum, the planet will be less susceptible to harmful precipitation such as acid rain.

Solving the environmental problem of acid rain

The problem of acid rain plagues the planet global character. In this regard, it can only be solved if we combine the efforts of a huge number of people. One of the main methods to solve this problem is to reduce harmful industrial emissions into water and air. All enterprises must use cleaning filters and facilities. The most long-term, expensive, but also the most promising solution to the problem is the creation of environmentally friendly enterprises in the future. All modern technologies must be used taking into account the assessment of the impact of activities on the environment.

They cause a lot of harm to the atmosphere modern views transport. It is unlikely that people will give up cars anytime soon. However, today new environmentally friendly technologies are being introduced vehicles. These are hybrids and electric vehicles. Cars such as Tesla have already gained recognition in different countries peace. They run on special batteries. Electric scooters are also gradually gaining popularity. In addition, do not forget about traditional electric transport: trams, trolleybuses, metro, electric trains.

We should not forget that air pollution is caused by people themselves. You don’t need to think that someone else is to blame for this problem, and it doesn’t depend on you specifically. This is not entirely true. Of course, one person is not capable of releasing toxic and chemical substances into the atmosphere in large quantities. However, regular use of passenger cars leads to the fact that you regularly release exhaust gases into the atmosphere, and this subsequently becomes the cause of acid rain.

Unfortunately, not all people are aware of such an environmental problem as acid rain. Today, there are many films, articles in magazines and books about this problem, so everyone can easily fill this gap, recognize the problem and begin to act to solve it.