FREE ESSAY ON ACID RAIN

ACID RAIN

Acid Rain
Acid rain is a serious problem with disastrous effects. Each 
day this serious problem increases. Many people believe that 
this issue is too small to deal with right now, and others believe it should be met head
on. In the following paragraphs I will be discussing the impact of acid rain effects on
wildlife and how our atmosphere is being destroyed.
Causes
Acid rain is a cancer, eating into the face of Eastern Canada 
and the North Eastern United States. In Canada, the main 
sulphuric acid sources are non-ferrous smelters and power 
generation. On both sides of the border, automobiles are 
the main sources for nitric acid (about 40% of the total). 
Power generating plants, industrial commercial, and 
residential fuel combustion together contribute the rest of the nitric acid . In the
atmosphere, the sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides transform's into sulphuric acid and
nitric acid. Air current can send them thousands of kilometres from the 
source. When these acids fall to the earth, they will 
have large impact on the growth and the preservation of 
certain wildlife. 
No Defence
Areas in Ontario; mainly southern regions that are near the 
Great Lakes, have substances as limestone or other known 
antacids. These substance's can neutralize acids entering the body of water, thereby
protecting it. However, large areas of Ontario that are near the Pre-Cambrian Shield,
with quartzite or granite based geology and little top soil, there is not enough 
buffering capacity to neutralize even small amounts of acid 
falling on the soil and the lakes. Therefore over time, the 
basic environment shifts from an alkaline to a acidic one. 
This is why many lakes in the Muskoka, Haliburton, 
Algonquin, Parry Sound and Manitoulin districts could lose 
their fisheries if sulphur emissions are not reduced 
substantially.
Acid Rain Consists Of
Canada does not have as many people, power plants or 
automobiles as the United States, and yet acid rain here 
has become so severe that our government officials
call it the most pressing environmental issue facing the 
nation. It is important to bear in mind that acid rain 
is only one segment, of the widespread pollution of the 
atmosphere facing the world. Each year the global atmosphere 
is on the receiving end of 20 billion tons of carbon 
dioxide, 130 million tons of suffer dioxide, 97 million tons 
of hydrocarbons, 53 million tons of nitrogen oxides, more 
than three million tons of arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, 
nickel, zinc and other toxic metals. The Global atmosphere host's synthetic organic
compounds ranging from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), to toxaphene and other
pesticides. A number of which may be capable of causing cancer, birth defects, or genetic
imbalances.
Cost Of Acid Rain 
Interactions of pollutants can cause problems. In addition 
to contributing to acid rain, nitrogen oxides can react with 
hydrocarbons to produce ozone (a major air pollutant 
responsible in the United States for annual losses of $2 
billion to 4.5 billion worth of wheat, corn, soyabeans, and 
peanuts.). A wide range of interactions can occur with many unknown toxic metals.
In Canada, Ontario alone has lost the fish in an estimated 
4000 lakes and provincial authorities calculate that Ontario 
stands to lose the fish in 48 500 more lakes within the next 
twenty years if acid rain continues at the present 
rate. Ontario is not alone, on Nova Scotia's Eastern most 
shores, almost every river flowing to the Atlantic Ocean is 
poisoned with acid. 
The Dying
Acid rain is killing more than lakes. It can scar the leaves 
of hardwood forests, wither ferns and lichens. Acid rain accelerates the death of
coniferous needles, sterilize seeds, and weaken the forests to a state that is vulnerable
to disease infestation. In the soil the acid neutralizes chemicals vital 
for growth, strips others from the soil and carries them to 
the lakes and literally retards the respiration of the soil. 
The rate of forest growth in the White Mountains of New 
Hampshire has declined 18% between 1956 and 1965, time of 
increasingly intense acidic rainfall. Acid rain no longer 
falls exclusively on the lakes, forest, and thin soils of 
the Northeast it now covers half the continent. 
Effects
There is evidence that Acid rain is destroying the 
productivity of the once rich soils themselves, like an 
overdose of chemical fertilizer or a gigantic drenching of 
vinegar. The damage of such overdosing may not be repairable 
or reversible. On some croplands, tomatoes grow to only half 
their full weight, and the leaves of radishes wither. 
Naturally it rains on cities too, eating away stone 
monuments and concrete structures, and corroding the pipes 
which channel the water away to the lakes and the cycle is 
repeated. Automobile paints have it's life reduced 
due to the pollution in the atmosphere, by speeding up the 
corrosion process. In some communities drinking water is 
laced with toxic metals freed from metal pipes by the 
acidity. Urban skies typical visibility has declined from 10 to 4 miles, along the
Eastern seaboard, as acid rain turns into smog. Also, now there are indicators that the
components of acid rain are a health risk, linked to human respiratory disease.
Prevention
Acidification of water supplies could result in increased concentrations of metals in
plumbing such as lead, 
copper and zinc which could result in adverse health 
effects. After any period of non-use, water taps at summer 
cottages or ski chalets, should run the taps for at 
least 60 seconds to flush any excess debris. There are now ways to reduce the level of
dioxides coming out of coal burning plants, one way is to install an expensive scrubber
in each smoke stack. Other possible measures include burning only low sulfur oil and
coal.
Statistics 
Although there is contradicting statistical data, the evidence indicates that in the last
twenty to thirty years the acidity of rain has increased in many parts of the United
States. Presently, the United States annually discharges more than 26 million tons of
suffer dioxide into the atmosphere. Just three 
states, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois are responsible for 
nearly a quarter of this total. Overall, two-thirds of the 
suffer dioxide into the atmosphere over the United States 
comes from coal-fired and oil fired plants. Industrial 
boilers, smelters, and refineries contribute 26%; commercial 
institutions and residences 5%; and transportation 3%. The 
outlook for future emissions of suffer dioxide is not a 
bright one. Between now and the year 2000, United States 
utilities are expected to double the amount of coal they 
burn. The United States currently pumps some 23 million tons 
of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere in the course of the 
year.
Conclusion
Acid rain is real and a very threatening problem that is now being found all over the
world including North America, Northern Europe and the tropical rain forest.
Action by one government is not enough. In order for things 
to be done we need to find a way to work together on this 
for at least a reduction in the contaminates contributing to 
acid rain. 
Governments should be cracking down on 
factories not using the best filtering systems when 
incinerating or if the factory is giving off any other 
dangerous fumes. 
Works Consulted 
Bubenick, D.V. Acid rain information book.(1984)
White, J.C, Acid Rain.(1989)
Grolier encyclopedia.(1996)
Mackenzie J.J. Acid rains toll on forest's(1991)
Pearce Fred, Acid Rain. What is it and what is it doing to us? - (1989)
William Stone, Acid Rain. Fiend or Foe?(1989)
Steward Gail, Acid Rain (1990)