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Acid Precipitation

Acid Precipitation. Definitions & Types. Acid precipitation is precipitation abnormally high in sulfuric and nitric acid that is caused by atmospheric pollutants. Types Acid rain Acid dust Acid snow Acid gas. Location. Northeastern United States Southeastern Canada Sweden Norway

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Acid Precipitation

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  1. Acid Precipitation

  2. Definitions & Types • Acid precipitation is precipitation abnormally high in sulfuric and nitric acid that is caused by atmospheric pollutants. Types • Acid rain • Acid dust • Acid snow • Acid gas

  3. Location • Northeastern United States • Southeastern Canada • Sweden • Norway • Germany • South Africa and South Asia are in danger of being impacted by acid rain in the future.

  4. Pollution Causes • Acid rain is caused by the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide during fossil fuel combustion. • When these gasses are released into the atmosphere they react with water, oxygen, and other gases already present there to form sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. • Then the acids spread out over large areas because of wind patterns and fall back to the ground as acid rain • The gases responsible for acid rain are usually a byproduct of electric power generation, cars, and the burning of coal.

  5. Environmental Consequences • Acid rain effects waterways the most by polluting them • Overtime acid rain can drastically lower the point of pH of a body of water • The rain can also lower the pH of the soil • If the pH of a lake drops below 4.8 the plants and animals living there risk death • Over 50,000 lakes in the United States have a pH below normal

  6. Pollution Conservation Efforts • Funding is being given to areas affected by acid rain to help clean it up • Requiring energy producers to clean smokestacks to trap pollutants before they are released into the atmosphere. • Clean Air Act- law designed to reduce acid rain and improve public health by reducing sulfur oxide • You can help prevent acid rain by conserving energy and not putting harmful gases in the air

  7. Costs • To clean up what acid rain has damaged it costs approximately $5 billion dollars annually. That money is spent on: • Paint for cars • Cleaning water • New plants/trees • Supplies to fix statues or buildings

  8. Applicable Legislation • CAAA (Clean Air Act Amendments) also known as the Acid Rain Program are working to prevent acid rain • Cleaning smokestacks to prevent certain chemicals from getting into the air • Reducing the amount of gases or chemicals we put into the air in any way • GASP (Group Against Smog and Pollution)

  9. Facts • Most acid rain problems are caused by large coal burner plants • Acid rain has been linked to breathing and lung problems and people who have asthma. • Even people with great health can have lungs damaged by the acid in the air • Areas become very hazy or foggy due to acid rain • Acid rain can harm roads and bridges, it has even caused bridges to collapse

  10. Literature Cited • http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/26/business/prospects-acid-rain-costs-money.html • http://acidrain2004.tripod.com/id11.html

  11. Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc6j7zz1_do

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