Acid precipitation: causes of formation

Acid rainfall (rains) is one of the terms that arose from industrialization.

Air Pollution and Acid Precipitation

To date, there is a rapid development of industry: spending the planet's resources, burning fuel, as well as the development of environmentally faulty technologies. This in turn leads to air, water and land pollution . One such manifestation is acid precipitation.

The concept of acid rain was first mentioned in 1872, but its relevance was acquired only in the second half of the last century. At the moment, acid precipitation is a serious problem for many countries of the world (practically all countries of Europe and the USA). Environmentalists have developed a map of the rain, which clearly shows areas that have a high risk of hazardous precipitation.

Carbon dioxide in the air

Rain water is characterized by a certain level of acidity. Under normal conditions, this index should correspond to a neutral pH level (from 5.6 to 5.7 and much higher). Minor acidity is the result of carbon dioxide in the air. However, it is so low that it can not harm living organisms. It turns out that the causes of acid precipitation are related to human activities, natural factors can not be explained.

The occurrence of acid precipitation

Acidic precipitate is formed as a result of emissions by enterprises of a large number of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides.

Sources of such pollution are thermal power stations, metallurgical production and car exhaust . The purification technology has a very low level of development, which prevents filtration of the nitrogen and sulfur compounds that result from the combustion of peat, coal and other raw materials used in industry. Once in the atmosphere, the oxides are combined with water as a result of reactions under the influence of sunlight. After that they fall out as rains, they are called "acid precipitation".

Consequences of acid precipitation

Scientists argue that acid precipitation is very dangerous for plants, humans and animals. Below are the most basic dangers:

- Such rains significantly increase the acidity of all water bodies, whether it is a river, a pond or a reservoir. As a result, extinction of natural fauna and flora is observed. The ecosystem of reservoirs is changing, their clogging, waterlogging, and rising of mudflow occur. After such changes, water is unsuitable for human use. It increases the amount of salts of heavy metals and a variety of toxic mixtures that are absorbed by the microflora of the reservoir under normal conditions.

- These rains are a consequence of the extinction of plants and forest degradation. Coniferous trees get the most. The fact is that they are very slowly renewed leaves, and this does not allow them to recover independently after the fall of acid rain. Young forests are also subject to this process, and their quality is rapidly declining. Excessive mass of sediment leads to the destruction of forests.

- In Europe and the USA, acid rain is the main cause of poor harvest, as well as the extinction of crops in the fields. The reason for the damage lies not only in the constant impact of rain, but also in disturbances in the mineralization of the soil.

- Architectural monuments, various buildings and structures also suffer from acid rain. As a result of this phenomenon, the process of corrosion is significantly accelerated, the mechanisms fail.

- In some cases, acid rain can cause irreparable harm to humans and animals. When they are in areas of increased danger, they begin to be troubled by diseases of the upper respiratory tract. If this continues, soon nitrate and black acid of excessively high concentration will precipitate in the form of precipitation . At the same time, the threat to human life is greatly increased.

Combating acid rain

Of course, against nature you will not go - it is impossible to fight the very precipitation. Falling into the fields and other large areas, acid rain causes irreparable harm, and there is no reasonable solution to this problem. It is quite another matter when it is necessary to eliminate not their consequences, but the causes of their appearance. To avoid the formation of acid rain, you must constantly implement a number of rules: environmentally friendly and safe road transport, special technologies for cleaning emissions into the atmosphere, new production technologies, alternative sources of energy production and so on.

Mankind has ceased to appreciate what it has. We all use the unlimited resources of our planet, pollute it and do not want to take consequences. But it was human activity that led the Earth to such a state. This is very dangerous, because if we do not start taking care of our planet, the consequences will become catastrophic.