Title : Observing the influence of acid rain on seeds germination and plant growth.

Objectives
1. To justify the effects of acid rain on seed germination.
2. To explain how acid rain affects the growth of plants.
3. To identify the tolerance of a plant to the acid level of acid rain.
Introduction
Industries and motor vehicles produce gaseous oxides of nitrogen and sulfur. For
example, nitrogen and oxygen in the air can combine under high-temperature engine conditions
N O2
to produce nitrogen dioxide (
). The equation for the reaction is:
N 2 +2O2 2 N O 2
Sulfides in fuels can combine with oxygen to make sulfur dioxide (
trioxide (

S O3

S O2

) and sulfur

). Such oxides combine with water in the atmosphere to make acids. For

example, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur trioxide combine with water. They form nitric acid (
HNO 3
H 2 SO 4
) and sulfuric acid (
), respectively. The equations for these reactions are:
3 NO2 +H 2 O 2 HNO3 + NO
SO 3 + H 2 O H 2 SO4
The presence of these acids causes rain to be acidic. Acid rain damages trees, crops, and
buildings. It can make lakes so acidic that fish cannot survive. In this experiment, the effects of
acid rain towards plants are simulated by comparing the effect of varying levels of acidity on
seeds germination and plant growth.

Materials
1M

H 2 SO 4

, 4 plastic plant pots/small planting bag, commercial potting mix, corn seeds.

Apparatus
pH meter, weighing balance, 500mL beakers, 500mL glass bottles, spray bottles.

Procedure
A) Planting of Seeds and Preparation of the Acid Rain Solution.

12 plastic plant pots were filled with soil until the pot is

3
4

full.

The pots were labeled as follows:

Pot 1: Control (triplicate a,b and c)
Pot 2: Acid rain A (triplicate a,b and c)
Pot 3: Acid rain B (triplicate a,b and c)
Pot 4: Acid rain C (triplicate a,b and c)

4 paddy seeds were planted in each pot, approximately 15mm deep.

The acid rain solutions were prepared by mixing tap water with 1M

H 2 SO 4

A beaker was filled with 500mL tap water.

The pH was adjusted to the following acidities by adding acid and monitoring the acidity
using the pH meter.
Acid rain solution A: pH 5
Acid rain solution B: pH 3
Acid rain solution C: pH 1

B) Planting and Treatment.

Each pot was watered with:
Pot 1: Tap water
Pot 2: Acid rain solution A
Pot 3: Acid rain solution B
Pot 4: Acid rain solution C

The spray bottle was used to water all pots with approximate volume to wet the seeds and soil.
The planting day was noted as Day 0.

The pots were placed on plastic trays and transferred outside the lab.

Each pot was watered with the respective acid rain solutions (tap water was used for pot 1) on
days 1, 2, 4, 6.

The pots were observed. The number of plants that have growth were noted and recorded.

A qualitative description was recorded of the plant including leaf color, lesions and spotting
on leafs and stems, presence of dead leafs, and any other signs of damage.

The plants were harvested from each pot on day 8 and the following were determined;
The final qualitative description of plants for each treatment pot.
The average plant height (in cm) for each treatment pot.

Result
Pot

Pot 1a,b,c

Pot 2a,b,c

Pot 3a,b,c

Pot 4a,b,c

Watered
with:

Tap water

Acid rain A (pH

5)

Acid rain B(pH 3)

Acid rain C(pH 1)

Day 0

Leaves not grow

Leaves not grow

Leaves not grow

Leaves not grow

Day 1

Leaves not grow

Leaves not grow

Leaves not grow

Leaves not grow

Day 2

Leaves not grow

Leaves not grow

Leaves not grow

Leaves not grow

Day 4

Leaves start to
grow

Leaves start to
grow

Leaves start to
grow

Leaves not grow

Day 6

Leaves start to
grow

Leaves start to
grow

Leaves start to
grow

Leaves not grow

Day 7

Leaves start to
grow

Leaves start to
grow

Leaves start to
grow

Leaves not grow

All the leaves

grow vertically
and do not have
any spotting on it.

All the leaves

grow vertically
and do not have
any spotting on it.

All the leaves did

not grew and the
colors change to
yellow. Most of
them were died on
day 4.

Acid rain 5a :
9.32

Acid rain 3a :
10.95

Acid rain 1a :
4.98

Acid rain 5b :
10.14

Acid rain 3b :
10.67

Acid rain 1b :
6.98

Acid rain 5c :
10.54

Acid rain 3c :
9.34

Acid rain 1c :
8.83

Final
physiologi
cal
condition

The
average
plant
height
(cm)

All the leaves

grow vertically
and do not have
any spotting on it.

Tap water a :
12.03
Tap water b : 9.39
Tap water c :
12.11

Questions
1. Prepare graphs illustrating the seeds germination profile for each treatment pot.

12

10

8
Number of Plant
Average Plant Height (cm)

Average Plant Mass (g)

4

0
1

Graph of seeds germination profile.

5. How acid rain can affect plant growth? Please provide your explanation in relation to
plant physiology and plant nutrients.
Acid rain can effect plant growth. The effects can be boiled down to two things. First effect is
physiological damage to plant cells and plant tissues which affect different plants differently and
certain tissues of plants are more susceptible than others. Young rootlets and leaf shoots are
typically very sensitive to low pH conditions but other aspects of the plant can be harmed as
well.
Second effect of acid rain on plant growth is the geochemical shifts in soils and soils waters that
impede growth by affecting absorption of nutrients by roots or by leaching nutrients from soils.
This effect affects the composition and makeup of soil water, which is a main source of nutrients
for the plant and soil substrates themselves. Excess acid in soils can dissolve soil substrate,
leading to erosion, cause de-adsorption and migration out of the growth zone of important trace
metals and nutrients and release to solution of toxic quantities of other metals. The effects
depend upon the normal mineralogic and organic makeup of the particular soil, as well as other
factors such as rainfall amounts and slope of the growing surface. It is difficult to go from
generalizations such as these to specific plants because each plant will respond differently. Some
are adapted to be more tolerant to changes in environment (including natural variability in pH).

References

Rubin, K.. Effect of acid rain on plants. Retrieved on April 28, 2013 from
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/acidrain4.html