1. Why does acid precipitation form, and why is it such a serious problem?

2. * Acid precipitation includes all forms of precipitation (rain, sleet, snow) with a high concentration of acids present. * Acid precipitation forms when water vapor and droplets in the atmosphere combine with sulfuric and nitric oxides. This forms sulfuric and nitric acids, which have a lower pH than typical rainfall. * Where do most sulfuric and nitric oxides come from?

3. * pH is a measurement of the protons present in any given compounds. The lower, the pH, the greater the concentration of protons present. * Typical rainfall has a pH of around 6. However, acid rain typically has a pH from 4 to 5, and can have a pH as low as 3.5! * Compare these pH measurements to other compounds in the pH scale to the left.

4. * Acid precipitation can affect soils and plants through acidification – the process of adding protons to the soil, waters, or to living organisms. * Acidification removes nutrients from the soil, corrodes metal surfaces (causing runoff!) and damages trees and other plants. * Acidification also destroys aquatic ecosystems, killing organisms that cannot adapt to the new acidic pH of the habitat.

5. * As stated earlier, acid precipitation causes runoff pollution from corroded metals, especially aluminum. Aluminum can build up in aquatic habitats and in living organisms, causing death. * Acidic precipitation has its worst effects in the spring, due to the double whammy of acid rain and melting acid snow flowing into waterways. This results in acid shock – a sudden reduction of the pH level of the water. * Acid shock affects fish and amphibians through death and reduced fertility.

6. * Acid precipitation affects people in numerous ways: * Causes health problems through ingesting food and water contaminated with aluminum and mercury. * Causes possible respiratory illness through exposure to acid precipitation over time. * Causes economic damage through the disruption of forests and aquatic ecosystems. * Causes economic damages through erosion and corrosion, especially to concrete, marble and limestone (all of these are rich in calcium carbonate!).

7. * Why is acid precipitation an international problem?

8. * Because acid precipitation often forms from pollutants hundreds of miles away, the damage done from acid precipitation often happens to areas far from the primary sources of pollution! * For instance, south-east Canada is and has been affected from acid precipitation – much of which originated from pollution generated from the northeast U.S. * Eventually, both countries signed the Canada-US Air Quality Agreement (1991), which has significantly reduced both local air pollution and the damage from acid precipitation.

10. * Acid Rain Project * Your table group has been asked to hold a presentation on acid precipitation awareness for a class of middle-school students. You have also been asked to create a fact sheet that can be made available to these students after the presentation. * Your objective is to create a presentation for acid precipitation awareness, and a supplemental fact sheet that goes with your presentation. * Make sure it’s appropriate for middle-school students!

11. * Acid Rain Project * What information must you include? * What is acid precipitation? * How does it form? * Why is it dangerous? How does it affect forests and aquatic ecosystems? * What can we do to prevent acid precipitation?

12. * Acid Rain Project * Fact sheet is due Friday Jan. 31, 2014 * Presentations will be held in class Monday Feb. 3 and Tuesday Feb. 4. Make sure it is no longer than 8 minutes! * Please refer to the rubric when designing both your fact sheet and presentation. * Sample fact sheet: http://www.ncsu.edu/project/bio183de/Black/chem review/chemreview_reading/acid_rain.html http://www.ncsu.edu/project/bio183de/Black/chem review/chemreview_reading/acid_rain.html