Acid Rain Effects. Elmhurst College. Acid Lake Effects. Effects on Forests. Acid Rain Solutions. Chemistry Department. Acid Soils and Effects. Virtual ChemBook. Coal Company Views: Many coal companies in the Midwest may go broke and cause high unemployment rates among coal miners if power companies switch to low sulfur coat from the West. Acid Rain - Solutions Progress in Controlling Emissions: Some progress has already been made in slowing the emission of sulfur oxides.
Solutions - Use Low Sulfur Coal: The amount of sulfur oxides emitted by a power plant can be reduced by burning coal with a very low percentage of sulfur present. Solutions - Use Scrubbers: Scrubbers remove percent of the sulfur oxides. It inhibits trees' ability to grow and reproduce.
Water bodies and aquatic environment are the most affected by either direct acid rainfall or flow of precipitations into streams and lakes through forest, roads and fields, which usually contains amount of Aluminum leached from soil. Most lakes and streams have a pH level near 6. A lot of plants and animals, usually younger species, are acid-sensitive while some others are able to tolerate slightly acidic waters.
At lower pH levels, most fish eggs cannot hatch and some adult fish even die. Increased acidity and aluminum level in water surfaces are toxic to aquatic wildlife and can also be deadly. Acid rain water is too dilute to cause direct health problems for human.
However, infinitesimal acid particles like nitrogen oxides NOx and sulfur dioxide SO2 known as gaseous particulates, when inhaled cause serious respiratory diseases or deteriorate them when inhaled. This includes asthma and chronic bronchitis as well as an increase in heart disease risk. Not only are living creatures affected, but acid rain damages many objects.
It leaves irreplaceable damage on old heritage buildings as well as weathering limestone and marble buildings and monuments like gravestones. Home DIY. Home Repairs. How to Prevent Acid Rain Pollution. Energy conservation The biggest step that you can take to prevent acid rain is to decrease your energy consumption.
Close the lights when you leave the room and turn off computers and televisions when you're not using them. Whenever you're not using an electrical appliance, simply shut it off to conserve energy.
Another large consumer of energy is your home's heating and cooling system. Make sure to use your air conditioning only when you really need it. Also, when you leave the house, turn down your heater's thermostat.
It will cost you less and save more energy [source: EPA ]. Transportation Because cars are a major contributor to acid rain pollution, it's important to find alternate modes of transportation in an effort to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels. By using public transit, carpools, bikes and even your feet, you're helping reduce auto emissions. Some new cars can also use cleaner fuels, such as natural gas. Catalytic converters reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from cars.
These devices have been used for over twenty years now, and it is important to keep them working properly. EPA has also made, and continues to make, changes to gasoline that allows it to burn cleaner. There are also alternative energies available to power automobiles, including natural gas powered vehicles, battery-powered cars, fuel cells, and combinations of alternative and gasoline powered vehicles.
The Role of The Individuals. Governments, power companies and scientists are not the only ones that can take action to stop acid rain. We can become part of the solution. It may seem like there is not much that one individual can do. However, environmental problems are usually caused by the cumulative actions of millions of individual people.
Therefore, each individual can also reduce their contribution to the problem and become part of the solution. Understanding the Problems.
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