Acid precipitation (rain) - one of the terms that has arisen as a result of industrialization.
air pollution and acid rain occurrence
To date, there is a rapid development of the industry: the use of resources of the planet, burning of fuel, as well as the development of environmentally faulty technology.This in turn leads to pollution of air, water and land.One of these manifestations are acid rain.
notion acid "rain" was first mentioned in 1872, but its relevance has acquired in the second half of the last century.At the moment, acid rain - is a serious problem for many countries (almost all European countries and the United States).Ecologists have developed a map of the rains, which clearly shows the areas with a high risk of dangerous sediments.
concentration of carbon dioxide in the air
Rainwater is characterized by a certain level of acidity.Under normal conditions, this index must match the level of the neutral pH (5.6 - 5.7, and is much higher).A slight acidity is the result of the content of carbon dioxide in the air.However, it is so low that it can not cause harm to living organisms.It turns out that the causes of acid rain are associated with human activities, natural factors can not explain it.
of acid precipitation Acid
precipitate is formed by a large number of enterprises emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides.
sources of such pollution are thermal power plants, iron and steel production and car exhaust.The purification technology has a very low level of development, which does not filter out nitrogen and sulfur compounds resulting from the combustion of peat, coal and other raw materials used in the industry.Once in the atmosphere, oxides combine with water in the reactions under the action of sunlight.Thereafter, they fall as rain, they are called "acid rain."
consequences of acid rain
Scientists say that acid rain is very dangerous to plants, animals and humans.Below are the most basic of danger:
- These rains significantly increase the acidity of waters, whether river, pond or reservoir.As a result, there is a natural extinction of fauna and flora.Ecosystem changes reservoirs, is their blockage, waterlogging, increased sliminess.After these changes the water is unfit for human use.It increases the amount of heavy metals and a variety of toxic compounds that are absorbed by the microflora of the reservoir in normal situation.
- These rains are a consequence of the extinction of plants and forest degradation.Conifers gets the most.The fact that they are updated very slowly leaves, and it does not give them the opportunity to self-recover from acid rain.Young forests are also subject to this process, and their quality is rapidly declining.Excessive weight of the precipitate leads to the destruction of forests.
- In Europe and the US acid rain - the main reason for a poor harvest, and the extinction of agricultural crops in the fields.The cause of damage lies not only in the constant exposure to rain and in violation of the mineralization of the soil.
- architectural monuments, various buildings and facilities also affected by acid rain.As a result of this phenomenon is the corrosion process is greatly accelerated mechanisms fail.
- In some cases, acid rain can cause irreparable harm to humans and animals.When you are in areas of high risk, they begin to disturb respiratory diseases.If this continues, it will soon in the form of rain will fall nitrate and black acid concentration too high.At the same time the threat of human life is significantly increased.
fight against acid rain
course, do not go against nature - impossible to deal with the fallout.It falls to the fields and other large areas, acid rain cause irreparable harm and reasonable solution to this problem is not present.It is quite another thing when you need to eliminate their consequences are not, and the reasons for the appearance.To avoid the formation of acid rain, you need to constantly carry out a number of rules: non-polluting and safe road transport, special treatment technology emissions, new production technologies, alternative sources of energy production and more.
Humanity ceased to appreciate what he has.We all use unlimited resources of our planet, polluting it, and do not want to accept the consequences.And it is human activity has led to this state of the Earth.This is very dangerous, because if we do not take care of their planet, the consequences will become catastrophic.