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Acid Precipitation. Acid Precipitation. Acid precipitation – highly acidic precipitation that results from the burning of fossil fuels Rain Sleet Snow. How Acid Precipitation is Formed.
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Acid Precipitation • Acid precipitation – highly acidic precipitation that results from the burning of fossil fuels • Rain • Sleet • Snow
How Acid Precipitation is Formed • Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from cars and factories combine with water in the air to form sulfuric and nitric acids which falls as precipitation
What makes it acid rain? • Acid precipitation has a pH of less than 5.6 • “soda-pop” rain pH = 3.5 – 4 • Effects of acid rain: • Architecture: • Dissolves concrete and limestone • Damages historic monuments and works of art
Effects of Acid Precipitation • Ecosystems: • Changes the pH of soil – killing tress and plants • Changes the pH of lakes and rivers – killing fish • Causes aluminum in the soil to seep into water and kill fish • Acid shock – sudden influx of acidic water • Spring melting of acidic snow • Kills populations of fish • Causes defective or infertile fish
Fighting Acid Precipitation • States and countries spray lime on acidic lakes • Lime is basic and neutralizes the acid in the lakes
Difficulty Controlling Acid Rain • Pollutants can be released hundreds of miles away from where the acid precip. falls • Factories in the Midwest and eastern U.S. cause acid rain in New England and southeastern Canada