Acid Rain By: Gratia Hickey & Cory Miller

What is Acid Rain? Cloud or rain droplets containing pollutants, such as oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, to make them acidic Air pollution produced when acid chemicals are incorporated into rain, snow, fog or mist The "acid" in acid rain comes from sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, products of burning coal and other fuels and from certain industrial processes Rain that has become acidic (with a pH of less than 5.6) from mixing with sulfuric, nitric and other acids that are released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels Acid rain is rainfall that has been acidified. Rain is acidified by oxides of sulfur and nitrogen. Acid rain usually has a pH of less than 5.6. Acid rain is formed when pollutants called oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, contained in power plant smoke, factory smoke, and car exhaust, react with the moisture in the atmosphere. Dry deposition, such as soot and ash, sleet, hail, snow, smog and low level ozone are forms that acid rain can take, despite its name.

What Causes Acid Rain Acid deposition primarily results from the transformation of sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen oxides into dry or moist secondary pollutants The transmission to acidic particles and vapors occurs as these pollutants are transported in the atmosphere over distances of hundreds and thousands kilometers The gases can then be converted into acids when they contact water.

Cause and Effects of Acid Rain Acid Rain Environmental: Trees Plants Animals Lakes Architectural: Bridges collapse Statues eroded Building foundation weakened Humans: Respitory problems When consumed by Plants and anmals It is carried to humans

How Companies contribute to Acid Rain Few dispute the fact that the pollution of the Adirondacks is from power plants, factories, cars, and trucks. These factors affect the wildlife and aquatic life of the Adirondacks. The congress instilled a law called the Clean Air Act of 1970.At the time that it was ratified, it seemed like an effective law to stop companies and factories from polluting the air over and again, but they were wrong. Due to a loophole in the Clean Air Act of 1970 companies were allowed to continue to pollute as they had in the past. This is because the plants and factories were told that they were exempted from installing expensive new scrubbers until they built a new facility or they significantly upgraded the current facility. Now, thirty years later, they are still putting the same chemicals in the air and killing the tree and wildlife in the Adirondacks.

Global Acid Rain Pollution Not only are we as Americans suffering from Acid rain. Many other countries are suffering from the same problems we have been dealing with. Acid rain is a problem in eastern Canada because many of the water and soil systems in this system lacks alkalinity The areas being hit the hardest are shore refineries.

Example of What Happens After the Initial Pollution A factory by a lake releases smoke into the air Dry deposition from the smoke falls into the lake The rest of the smoke rises up and forms acid rain in the atmosphere The wind causes the acid rain cloud to travel Acid rain falls on a forest and acid snow falls on a mountain After all this, the lake is affected, the river is affected, the soil is affected and the vegetation is affected

What Can WE Do??? Home –Install Low Flow Shower head –Hang Dry Laundry –Turn off the hot water tank when away for extended periods of time –Don’t use sink garbage disposal In the Yard –Keep pool covered when not using it –Shop for the EcoLogo Transportation –Walk, ride your bike or take a bus to work –Share a ride with a friend or co- worker. –Have your engine tuned at least once every six months

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