Effects of acid rain on the environment
Acid Rain is acid rain that has a pH below 5.6. Increased acidity can occur due to the presence of certain compounds that dissolve in rain water. High levels of acidity can be dangerous for the environment around us.
Acid Rain Process, Rain is one of the natural phenomena that occurs to maintain the balance of water on this earth. The process of rain formation is as follows: Water in rivers, seas and lakes evaporates into the air into water vapor. Then the water vapor becomes solid and forms clouds. Furthermore, water vapor will undergo a condensation process and form dew.
Ordinary rainwater has many benefits, namely as a source of water for humans, plants and animals. Rainwater can also be used for electricity generation, used for fish farming, maintaining the balance of water in nature, as a source of clean water, impacts of acid rain on forest trees, an energy source and others.
Just as happened in the process of the formation of rain, the process of formation of acid rain is also not much different. But what distinguishes the two is in the acid rain the source of the cause is the meeting between water vapor with carbon dioxide gas, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfur.
This if it lasts longer can be dangerous for living things because not all living things can adapt to the environment that turns to acid.
In addition, the presence of acid rain can also affect the supply of clean water in the environment around us.
The process of acid rain can be described as follows:
Almost all the constituents of this earth are water. Water has a very important role for life. During the day the water in rivers and in the sea evaporates and moves towards the earth's layers. Furthermore, gases that have fused in the air and trigger acid rain.
In this process there is a union between carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide with water vapor to form weak acids. In addition, hydrogen sulfur and sulfur oxide also fuse with water vapor which will produce strong acids.
This union can trigger acid rain.
Some things that can cause acid rain are as follows:
Sulfur and nitrogen produced from industry, electricity generation, from motor vehicles and ammonia produced from agricultural activities can cause acid rain. Both of these compounds are the result of the combustion process. In addition, sulfur is also a compound derived from forest fires and / or results of volcanic eruptions.
Sulfur dioxide is one of the causes of acid rain. The compound is produced from various combustion processes such as industries that produce crude oil, palm oil mills and the metal industry. In addition, sources of sulfur oxide were also obtained from volcanic eruptions and motor vehicles.
Nitrogen dioxide is a compound that causes acid rain.
These compounds are dangerous for the environment. The compound is produced from various processes such as high temperature combustion. An example is the chemical fertilizer and drug industries.
Some of the gases that can cause acid rain are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Both of these compounds come from motor vehicle pollution and the results of the combustion process. These compounds when met with water can form carbonic acid or often known as a weak acid group.
In addition, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide can also cause acid rain.
Both of these compounds are the result of heating and burning sulfur. Both of these compounds when met with water will form sulfuric acid which belongs to the group of strong acids.
Acid rain is one of the very dangerous natural phenomena that causes various problems in the environment such as the disruption of ecosystems on earth. Therefore, you can take action to prevent acid rain.
Acid rain also has a huge impact on the environment around us, both terrestrial, marine and marine environments. The following are some of the effects of acid rain on the environment:
1. Disturbed Marine Ecosystems
The sea is the mouth of a river. Even the rain water that falls on the earth also comes down to the sea. However, if the rain water contains a lot of acid, it can cause disturbance to the ecosystem in the sea. This affects the number of fish and marine animal populations.
Acid-containing rain can change the pH of the water so that fish that cannot adapt to changes in pH will die and if this condition lasts longer it can trigger extinction. In addition, the presence of acid rain can disrupt the food chain in the sea.
2. Stunted Root Growth
Acid content in rainwater can enter the soil and cause difficulty in root development and plant growth to be disrupted. In addition, it also causes the plant to collapse quickly because the root system is not strong.
3. Cause Erosion and Reduce Soil Fertility
Acid rain has a big effect on soil pollution. In addition, the presence of acid content causes the loss of minerals and various chemical compounds in it. This results in erosion and decreases soil fertility.
In addition, the result of acid rain is that the soil becomes barren and kills various microorganisms in the soil so that the soil becomes less good for planting crops.
4. Disrupt Health
Acid rain can trigger disease in the respiratory system. The smell that appears can interfere with your breathing, especially for those with asthma. In addition, acid rain also affects the health of your skin, which causes skin irritation. These conditions if left unchecked can cause death.