Preface (Essay on Acid Rain)
Acid rain (acid rain) includes rain, snow, hail, fog or dew etc. in which acid pollutants are especially sulfuric and nitric acids. Acid rain is caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which react with water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids.
The term "acid rain" was first coined in 1872 by Robert Angus Smith. Acid rain can be seen frequently in most parts of Europe, including Canada, the United States and parts of Sweden, Norway and Germany.
At present, apart from this, acid rain (acid rain) has been seen in some southern parts of South Africa and South Asia especially Sri Lanka and India in Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai.
Types of Acid Rain
There are two types of acid rain which are classified as follows:
1. Wet Acid Rain
When acid rain (acid rain) falls on the ground in the form of rain, snow, fog or mist, it removes acids from the atmosphere and deposits them on the earth's surface.
The acid then flows through the land, affecting a large proportion of plants, animals and aquatic life.
The dirty water coming out of the drain flows into the water sources like rivers and canals, due to which it later mixes with the sea water and affects the aquatic life.
2. Dry Acid Rain
When acidic pollutants like dust or fumes fall on the ground in the form of dry particles, they stick to the ground and other surfaces such as buildings, cars, homes, trees and monuments.
Most of the acidic pollutants in the atmosphere are spread by freezing. The main causes of acid rain are natural and man-organized.
However, acid rain is basically caused by the combustion of fossil fuels which increases the amount of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) in the atmosphere.
3. Natural sources
The main natural sources of acid rain are volcanic eruptions. The volcano emits a large amount of lava which produces harmful gases causing acid rain (acid rain) in higher than normal amounts.
Acid rain (acid rain) is also formed due to the gas produced by vegetation, forest fires and other biological processes.
Dimethyl sulfide is a typical example of a major biological contributor containing sulfur present in the atmosphere.
Lightning also produces nitric oxide, which reacts with water molecules through electrical activity to produce nitric acid, forming acid rain.
4. Human-organized sources
Human activities first include sulfur and nitrogen gas, which is a form of chemical gas, from factories, power generation premises, and automobile industries. These increase the amount of acid rain (acid rain).
In addition, the use of coal for electricity generation is a major cause of gaseous emissions that are directly related to the occurrence of acid rain.
The water present in these gases reacts with oxygen and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds like sulfuric acid, nitric acid etc. As a result, acid rain is abundant in those areas.
Harmful Effects of Acid Rain
Acid rain affects the environment in the following broad categories:
- Marine biodiversity
- Soil
- Architecture and infrastructure
- Forest and Wildlife
- Public health
Ways to avoid Acid Rain
Acid rain (acid rain) caused by natural causes cannot be stopped, but there are ways in which we can avoid acid rain (acid rain) caused by man-made causes. The ways in which acid rain can be avoided are as follows:
- By using limestone in what is known as the liming process, people can repair the damage caused by acid rain to lakes, rivers and other water sources. Under this, lime is poured into the acidic surface which balances the acidity of the water. However, it only provides a short-term solution to solve the wider challenges of SO2 and NOX emissions and the risk to human health.
- Millions of people directly or indirectly contribute towards the emission of SO2 and NOX. To address this challenge, people need to pay more attention to energy conservation such as turning off lights or electrical appliances when they are not in use, making maximum use of public transport, use of efficient electrical appliances and hybrids. Use of vehicles that emit the least amount of SO2 and NOX.
- There are a wide range of energy sources other than fossil fuels that can generate electrical power. These include wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, nuclear energy and hydro energy. These sources of energy can provide an alternative to effective electric power instead of fossil fuels. Natural gas, fuel cells and batteries can also be used in place of fossil fuels.
Conclusion (Essay on Acid Rain)
As you can see there are many ways to clean our air but due to the increase in population and rapid industrialization we need to try on a battle method to reduce the occurrence of acid rain. The whole world needs to contribute together in this direction to avoid causing huge damage to the environment