Questions about acid rain.

I have some questions on acid rain.?

• What states have acid rain? What causes acid rain? How does it effect the environment? Are there ways to reduce acid rain? What elements or substances doe acid rain consist of?

• Answer:

  What states have acid rain: The eastern United States receives more acidic precipitation than the rest of the country, with the greatest rates occurring in Ohio, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, upstate New York, New England, and other northeastern areas. Because nitrogen compounds can remain stored in snow until it melts, nitrate concentrations in lakes and streams can increase dramatically during seasonal or episodic acidification, particularly in the Northeast, resulting in toxic impacts on aquatic organisms. What causes acid rain: Is a form of air pollution in which airborne acids produced by electric utility plants and other sources fall to Earth in distant regions. The corrosive nature of acid rain causes widespread damage to the environment. The problem begins with the production of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and oil, and from certain kinds of manufacturing. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water and other chemicals in the air to form sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and other pollutants. These acid pollutants reach high into the atmosphere, travel with the wind for hundreds of miles, and eventually return to the ground by way of rain, snow, or fog. How does it effect the environment: Lakes and Water: As the lake becomes more acidic the fish find it more difficult to reproduce successfully. It is not only the acid in the water that kills them, but also poisonous minerals like aluminum that are washed out of the surrounding ground into the water. The birds that eat the fish also begin to suffer as the harmful minerals build up inside. Trees: The acid takes important minerals away from the leaves and the soil. Without these minerals, trees and plants cannot grow properly. Damaged trees lose their leaves, have stunted growth and damaged bark. Soil: Acid rain can damage soil by destroying many vital substances and washing away the nutrients. Soils naturally contain small amounts of poisonous minerals such as mercury and aluminum. Normally these minerals do not cause serious problems, but when acid rain falls on the ground and the acidity of the soil increases, chemical reactions occur allowing the poisonous minerals to be taken up by the plant roots. The trees and plants are then damaged and any animals eating them will absorb the poisons, which will stay in their bodies. Plants: Acid rain not only damages soil but can also affect the trees directly. Pollutants can block or damage the little pores on the leaves through which the plant takes in the air it needs to survive. Health: When we breathe in air pollution, the very fine particulates can easily enter our lungs, where they can cause breathing problems, and over time even lead to cancer. Drinking water is contaminated with chemicals released by acid rain. Aluminum and lead in water can be poisonous at high levels. Buildings: When sulphur pollutants fall on to buildings made from limestone and sandstone they react with minerals in the stone to form a powdery substance that can be washed away by rain. Acid rain can also damage stained glass windows in churches, railway lines and steel bridges. Are there ways to reduce acid rain: Reducing use of fossil fuels would considerably reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced, as well as reducing the levels of the pollutants which cause acid rain. This can be Achieved by either using less energy altogether, or using alternative energy sources. Eliminating the use of CFCs is something we can actually do. New refrigerants have been developed, and new aerosols use other propellants such as butane, so it is now actually quite difficult to get hold of CFCs. Stopping deforestation by using renewable forests and planting a new tree whenever one is felled would help to raise the carbon dioxide absorbing ability of the planet.