Acid Rain :: essays research papers

ACID RAINWhen fossil fuels such as coal, gasoline, and fuel oils are burned, they emitoxides of sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen into the air. These oxides combine withmoisture in the air to ready sulfuric pane of glass, 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 20th century, the acidity of the air and acid rain fork over come to be recognized as a leading threat to the stability and quality ofthe Earths environment. Most of this acidity is produced in the industrializednations of the Northern Hemisphere--the fall in States, Canada, Japan, and someof the countries of Eastern and westerly Europe.The effects of acid rain can be devastating to many forms of life, includinghuman life. Its effects can be most vividly seen, however, in lakes, rivers, andstreams and on vegetation. Acidity in water kills virtually all life forms. Bythe early 1990s tens of thousands of lakes had been destroyed by acid rain. Theproblem has been most severe in Norway, Sweden, and Canada.The threat posed by acid rain is not limited by geographic boundaries, forprevailing winds trickle the pollutants around the globe. For example, muchresearch supports the conclusion that pollution from coal-powered electricgenerating stations in the midwestern United States is the ultimate cause 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 made of stone, metal, and cement have also been disgraced or destroyed.Some of the worlds great monuments, including the cathedrals of Europe and theColosseum in Rome, have shown signs of deterioration caused by acid rain.Scientists use what is called the pH factor to measure the acidity oralkalinity of liquid bases. On a scale from 0 to 14, the number 0 representsthe highest level of acid and 14 the most basic or alkaline. A solution ofdist illed water containing neither acids nor alkalies, or bases, is designated 7,or neutral. If the pH level of rain falls below 5.5, the rain is consideredacidic. Rainfalls in the eastern United States and in Western Europe often range