What is acidification? What causes Acid rain? Can Acid rain be prevented and if so by what means?

Acidification is a dangerous process as it makes things difficult not only for human beings but also for animals and plants. Acidification is a process in which the carbon dioxide mixes with the water and soil thus, affecting the lives of living creatures. There are two types of acidification; one is the ocean acidification while the other is soil acidification. As per chemistry, it can be said that the decrease in pH level leads to acidification. Carbon dioxide is let out in air by human activities as well as natural processes and the same carbon dioxide and other poisonous gases are observed by water and soil. Carbon from the carbon dioxide reacts with water and carbonate minerals are formed. Carbonate mineral is a much required mineral for animals in the water to grow shells but yes, increase in the level of carbon harms the growth of organisms (PMELCarbonProgram). Soil acidification is also similar as slight inclusion of carbon in the soil won’t affect the plant’s growth but increase in the amount of carbon will make the soil useless as no plants will be able to grow on it (AustralianGovernment 2009).

Soil acidification and water acidification will lead to acid rains. Acid rains are caused due to various reasons other than that of acidification. Acid rains are caused due to the excess amount of nitrogen and sulfur in the atmosphere. Nitrogen and sulfur are released in the air due to the factories and cars. Factories emit nitrogen and sulfur due to the manufacturing process and cars emit it due to the combustion of fuel process. You can determine the level of acidity by way of testing the water droplets of rain to estimate the pH level. The pH level ranges from that of 0 to 14. If the pH level is lower then the rain is considered to be more acidic in nature (About.ComGeography 2012).

Talking about acid rains from a chemistry point of view, it can be said that the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide is released into the air by way of combustion of fuels. Fuels can be anything like that of petrol, diesel or even oil. The sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide reacts with the other gases like that of oxygen, hydrogen and others to form sulfuric acid and ammonium nitrate. This sulfuric acid and ammonium nitrate reaches the cloud by way of the evaporation process. The acids are stored in the cloud for a long period of time and the same is released along with rains (About.ComGeography 2012).

Acid rains affect the whole ecosystem so it is better to take precaution rather than looking for a cure, which may not be possible at a later stage. Lakes, oceans and sea are affected the most by way of acid rains because all the acid rains finally reach these water bodies. The aquatic life has disturbed a lot because it kills many individual fishes and apart from that, few species of fish will exhaust if this continues. When acidic rains make its way to the water body, the aluminum from the soil is discharged thus, the pH level of water is decreased and the level of aluminum is increased. Both low pH level and high aluminum are injurious to the health of fishes and hence, they suffer from weight reduction and chronic stress (U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency 2008).

Acid rains are considered to be so strong that they completely destroy a whole forest. Acid rains directly don’t cause the trees to die off at once but it is a slow process. These rains affect the trees in two ways; one is by washing off the essential nutrients that are required by the trees to grow and at the same time, it leaves toxins in the soil thus, making it difficult for the plant to carry on with their photosynthesis process (U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency 2008).

Acid rains create a foggy environment and hence, looking forward clearly becomes a difficult task. While driving on the road, the driver won’t be able to see things ahead and hence, this increases the number of accidents on the road. Rains fall more in the mountain region and hence, foggy climate is created over there, the most (U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency 2008). Apart from causing accidents, it can also lead to direct health concerns in human beings. The acid rains dry off and then the particles of sulfate and nitrate, flies in the air and they enter the respiratory system while breathing. Inhaling these minute particles leads to lung disorders like that of bronchitis and asthma. This also causes the person to die at a premature age (U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency 2008).

To reduce or nullify the effects of acid rains, every person needs to be very careful regarding the things that they need to do in their day-to-day life. Once everybody is aware about the causes then it can be avoided easily. There are certain natural activities like that of volcanoes or rotting vegetation which leads to discharge of sulfur in the air. Humans contribute the most to acid rains by way of burning fuels in the house and by driving automobiles (ExposeKnowledge 2010).

Acid rains cannot be avoided in a day’s time as it wasn’t created in a day’s time. It cannot be avoided by a single person but every single person’s contribution matters. The government of every country should understand the causes of acid rains and they should communicate the same with common people. Many countries have a research team that takes samples of air and water to understand acid rains in detail but the findings of the research is never communicated to the people in the country. Once people in the country get an understanding about the causes and effects, they will try to protect the environment from their end. The smokestacks that emit poisonous gases like that of sulfur and ammonium nitrate should have a scrubber. The scrubber is one of the best and easiest ways to reduce the emission of these gases. Apart from that, one can change the fuel that they are using currently. It has been scientifically proven that fuels like petrol, kerosene, diesel and others emit sulfur and ammonium nitrate in huge quantity but this problem can be solved by way of using natural gas, coal or natural oil. These fuels may be more expensive than that of the regular fuels but it is worth all (AlmanacOfPOlicyIssues 2002). Every vehicle that runs in the country should follow strict emission standards and the emission standards needs to be set by the government. The exhaust pipe of every vehicle should have a catalytic converter fitted into it and this is one of the best ways to reduce the pollutants that are emitted (Buzzle 2012).

Every individual should do their bit for the world. Doing small things will matter a lot. If a person is leaving their house then they can switch off the light so that the emission of dangerous gases is reduced at least to some extent. Insulating the home is one of the best ways to protect the environment. Insulating the house will safeguard the house from external environment thus, one can be rest assured that the heat transfer between the internal and external environment is minimal thus, the usage of electricity is reduced. One of the best things that anybody must do has purchased a vehicle that emits nitrogen oxide to the minimum. Nitrogen oxide is one of the major causes of acid rains and this fact is well understood by car manufacturers as well and hence, they are manufacturing such vehicles. These vehicles are considered to be comparatively expensive than that of the normal vehicles but the benefit is worth the cost (AlmanacOfPOlicyIssues 2002).

Acid rains needs to be avoided at the earliest; otherwise in the future, there won’t be presence of aquatic animals, plants and forests. This will in turn disturb the ecological balance so human will be left helpless and hopeless. It’s already late to react but still that can be done rather than regretting in the future when things are totally out of control.

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