Question

What is acid rain? What chemicals make rain acidic, and how does it happen?

How does acid rain affect humans? Are there any health problems associated with acid rain?
What effect does acid rain have on trees and soil?
What happens when lakes and aquatic systems become acidic?
Are the aquatic systems in our area being affected by acid rain? If yes, to what extent?

Answer 1

Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions. It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure.

Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain.

Air pollution like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can cause respiratory diseases, or can make these diseases worse. Respiratory diseases like asthma or chronic bronchitis make it hard for people to breathe.

Acid rain leaches aluminum from the soil. That aluminum may be harmful to plants as well as animals. Acid rain also removes minerals and nutrients from the soil that trees need to grow.

The ecological effects of acid rain are most clearly seen in aquatic environments, such as streams, lakes, and marshes where it can be harmful to fish and other wildlife. As it flows through the soil, acidic rain water can leach aluminum from soil clay particles and then flow into streams and lakes.

Answer 2

When rain water has a lower pH(acidic) than usual it is considered acid rain.

Rain water becomes acidic when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the atmosphere. They cause a chemical reaction with water, oxygen, and other chemical in the atmosphere to form sulfuric and nitric acids which then mix with water and fall down as rain.

Acid rain causes air pollution which can cause respiratory diseases. This can cause difficulty in breathing. Acid rain causes asthma, chronic bronchitis and pneumonia.

Acid rain removes nutrient from the soil, trees need these in order to be healthy. It separates aluminum from the soil which destroy plant root tips, this makes it difficult for trees to take up water.

Acid rain reduces the pH of water in aquatic systems which is harmful to marine animals. It kills many fish and other creatures that fish eat. It separates aluminum from the soil which drains into water system. The aluminium is toxic to fish in acid waters. It causes damage to the gill which effects the respiratory system of the fish and the fish dies.

Acid rain is affecting most of the places on earth.