We explain what acid rain is and the causes of this environmental phenomenon. Also, its effects and how it would be possible to stop it.
What is acid rain?
Acid rain is known as a harmful environmental phenomenon, which occurs when, instead of Water, rush from the atmosphere various forms of organic acids, a product of the chemical reaction between some types of gaseous oxides present in it and the water steam condensed in the clouds. These organic oxides represent an important source of atmospheric pollution.
Acid rain is usually not strictly acidic, but various dilutions in water of carbonic acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid or sulfurous acid, depending on the pollutants that abound in a region, since winds can move these gases over kilometers. This chemical reaction usually occurs in the following way, for example:
SO2 (gaseous sulfur dioxide) + OH (hydroxyl present in the atmosphere) = HOSO2, which in turn reacts with ambient oxygen: HOSO2 + O2 = H2O (water) + SO3 (sulfur trioxide), and the latter compound, highly polluting, reacts with water to produce H2SO4 (sulfuric acid).
The result of bliss mixture tends to be around levels of pH of 3 (similar to vinegar), which is much more acidic than the normal rain of 5.65 (due to the regular presence of CO2 atmospheric which gives rise to trace amounts of carbonic acid).
In addition, this type of precipitation is usually affected by temperatures and the weather, being able to take the form of dew, mist, hail, drizzle or even snow. In any way, its presence in the various ecosystems it is usually pernicious, since they alter the chemical balance of the land, water and deteriorate life.
Causes of acid rain
As we have seen, the main direct cause of acid rain is the presence in the atmosphere of various polluting organic substances, such as oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, which are usually frequent by-products of various human and industrial processes such as:
- Combustion from fossil fuels. Typical of cars and vehicles that consume hydrocarbons such as coal, or derivatives of Petroleum.
- Industrial boilers. Like the ones present in plants generation of Energy (especially coal), factories, metallurgical plants and other industrial plants.
- Heaters Many space heaters release this type of gas into the atmosphere during operation.
Effects of acid rain
Acid rain has various environmental effects, ranging from the gradual deterioration of plant life, whose leaves do not support the acidity of dew or rain, to the acidification of large bodies of water such as rivers or lakes, which often It makes them uninhabitable by the weakest life forms, causing chemical and trophic imbalances that can lead to extinctions or overpopulation.
Another known effect in this regard is the deterioration of soils, Since the molecules of acid they contribute protons to the ground (H +), forcing the production of certain ions (cations of iron, calcium, aluminum, zinc or lead) and impoverishing the chemistry of the soil, which becomes less fertile and less suitable for cultivation.
In addition, acid rain is corrosive, so it deteriorates buildings and deteriorates materials, dissolving the marble or limestone of statues, churches and period buildings.
How to stop acid rain?
The measures to prevent the formation of acid rain always go through a greater awareness of the polluting effects of the industrial world, and therefore effective control measures on the gases that we release into the atmosphere. Some common measures are:
- Reduce the sulfur in the fossil fuels and forcing drivers to use catalytic converters in their vehicles (public and private).
- Migrate to technologies green, or at least safer for the environment, especially in terms of obtaining electric power.
- Add alkaline compounds to lakes and rivers to neutralize the pH when the presence of acid rain is detected.
- Ensure an industrial model that controls the emission of sulfur or nitrogen oxide gases, or in any case offer alternatives for the neutralization of said gases before they are discharged into the atmosphere.
- Promote public transport and eco-healthy alternatives to the use of motor vehicles.