CONTENT

Formation
Causes
Effects and Problems
Areas Affected
What Acid Rain Has Done
Possible Solutions
What We Can Do

FORMATION
Is arainor any other form
ofprecipitationthat is
unusuallyacidic, i.e.
elevated levels of hydrogen
ions (lowpH)
Is caused by emissions
ofsulfur dioxideand
nitrogen oxides which react
with thewatermolecules in
the atmosphere to produce
acids

How acid rain

forms

CAUSES
Vehicles (e.g. cars, buses)

that burn gasoline and

diesel
Industrial emissions from
factories and power plants
that burn fuels such as
natural gas, coal or oil,
emit smoke that gives off
oxides of sulfur and
nitrogen
Home fires giving off smoke
that contains sulfur dioxide
Natural causes which are
volcanoes, swamps and
rotting plants giving off
sulfur dioxide

EFFECTS AND
PROBLEMS

Acid rain can cause buildings, statues and bridges to

deteriorate faster than usual

Harms thousands of lakes, rivers, and streams worldwide
It disrupts lake ecosystems
Kill wildlife in affected lakes, rivers and streams
Damages soil and the tree roots

Example of What Happens After the

Initial Pollution

A factory by a lake releases smoke into the air

Dry deposition from the smoke falls into the lake
The rest of the smoke rises up and forms acid rain in the atmosphere
The wind causes the acid rain cloud to travel
Acid rain falls on a forest and acid snow falls on a mountain
After all this, the lake is affected, the river is affected, the soil is

affected and the vegetation is affected

AREAS
AFFECTED

The Northeastern section of the

United States
The Southeastern section of Canada
Central Europe and Scandanavia
(Sweden, Norway and Finland)
Parts of Asia, specifically India and
China

Global Acid Rain

Pollution

WHAT ACID RAIN HAS

DONE

In Sweden, drinking water once contained enough water to make

people's hair turn green

Some famous statues, such as the Lincoln Memorial and Michaelangelo's
statue of Marcus Aurelius, have started deteriorating because of acid rain
In the Czech Republic, many trees lost all their leaves as a result of acid
rain
The Taj Mahal in India, one of the ten wonders of the world, is being
constantly threatened by acid rain
In London in 1952, very thick acid smog killed 4,000 people

POSSIBLE
SOLUTIONS
One is to use fuels that burn more cleanly
Another solution is to burn coal more efficiently
Power plant and factory chimneys can be fitted

with scrubbers
Enforcing tight emission standards on vehicles
that burn gas and diesel
Fitting devices such as a catalytic converter into
car exhaust pipes to minimize the amount of
sulfur dioxide in car exhaust

WHAT WE CAN
DO

We can cut back on car use by walking, cycling,

using public transit or carpooling

We can also help by turning off electrical devices
not in use such as lights and computers.

BIBLIOGRAPH
Y

http://www.elmhurst.edu

http://www.angelfire.com
http://www.eoearth.org
Likens, G. E., F. H. Bormann and N. M.

Johnson. 1972. Acid rain. Environment

Chiuchiu Adina -

Claudia
Manea Andreea
Badea Adrian - Florin