Acid Rain

Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic,
meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have
harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused
by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with the water
molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. Some governments have made
efforts since the 1970s to reduce the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide
into the atmosphere with positive results. Nitrogen oxides can also be produced
naturally by lightning strikes, and sulfur dioxide is produced by volcanic eruptions.
Acid rain has been shown to have adverse impacts on forests, freshwaters and
soils, killing insect and aquatic life-forms, causing paint to peel, corrosion of steel
structures such as bridges, and weathering of stone buildings and statues as well
as having impacts on human health.

Processes involved in acid deposition (note that only SO2 and NOx play a significant role in acid rain).

Acid clouds can grow on SO2 emissions from refineries, as seen here in Curaao.
What Causes Acid Rain?

Acid rain results when

sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are emitted into the atmosphere
and transported by wind and air currents. The SO2 and NOX react with water,
oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These then mix with
water and other materials before falling to the ground.

While a small portion of the SO2 and NOX that cause acid rain is from natural
sources such as volcanoes, most of it comes from the burning of fossil fuels. The
major sources of SO2 and NOX in the atmosphere are:

Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity. Two thirds of SO2 and one
fourth of NOX in the atmosphere come from electric power generators.
Vehicles and heavy equipment.
Manufacturing, oil refineries and other industries.

Winds can blow SO2 and NOX over long distances and across borders making acid
rain a problem for everyone and not just those who live close to these sources.

Forms of Acid Deposition

Wet Deposition

Wet deposition is what we most commonly think of as acid rain. The sulfuric and
nitric acids formed in the atmosphere fall to the ground mixed with rain, snow, fog,
or hail.
Dry Deposition

Acidic particles and gases can also deposit from the atmosphere in the absence of
moisture as dry deposition. The acidic particles and gases may deposit to surfaces
(water bodies, vegetation, buildings) quickly or may react during atmospheric
transport to form larger particles that can be harmful to human health. When the
accumulated acids are washed off a surface by the next rain, this acidic water
flows over and through the ground, and can harm plants and wildlife, such as
insects and fish.

The amount of acidity in the atmosphere that deposits to earth through dry
deposition depends on the amount of rainfall an area receives. For example, in
desert areas the ratio of dry to wet deposition is higher than an area that receives
several inches of rain each year.

Measuring Acid Rain

Acidity and alkalinity are measured using a pH scale for which 7.0 is neutral. The
lower a substance's pH (less than 7), the more acidic it is; the higher a substance's
pH (greater than 7), the more alkaline it is. Normal rain has a pH of about 5.6; it is
slightly acidic because carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves into it forming weak carbonic
acid. Acid rain usually has a pH between 4.2 and 4.4.

Policymakers, research scientists, ecologists, and modelers rely on the National

Atmospheric Deposition Programs (NADP) National Trends Network (NTN) for
measurements of wet deposition. The NADP/NTN collects acid rain at more than
250 monitoring sites throughout the US, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii and the US Virgin
Islands. Unlike wet deposition, dry deposition is difficult and expensive to measure.
Dry deposition estimates for nitrogen and sulfur pollutants are provided by the
Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET). Air concentrations are
measured by CASTNET at more than 90 locations.
When acid deposition is washed into lakes and streams, it can cause some to turn
acidic. The Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) Network measures and monitors surface
water chemistry at over 280 sites to provide valuable information on aquatic
ecosystem health and how water bodies respond to changes in acid-causing
emissions and acid deposition.

Sources of Acid Rain

Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins

when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are
released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the
atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and
other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid
rain. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides dissolve very easily in water and can be carried
very far by the wind. As a result, the two compounds can travel long distances where they
become part of the rain, sleet, snow, and fog that we experience on certain days.

Human activities are the main cause of acid rain. Over the past few decades, humans have
released so many different chemicals into the air that they have changed the mix of gases
in the atmosphere. Power plants release the majority of sulfur dioxide and much of the
nitrogen oxides when they burn fossil fuels, such as coal, to produce electricity. In
addition, the exhaust from cars, trucks, and buses releases nitrogen oxides and sulfur
dioxide into the air. These pollutants cause acid rain.

Acid Rain is Caused by Reactions in the Environment

Nature depends on balance, and although some rain is naturally acidic, with a pH level of
around 5.0, human activities have made it worse. Normal precipitationsuch as rain, sleet,
or snowreacts with alkaline chemicals, or non-acidic materials, that can be found in air,
soils, bedrock, lakes, and streams. These reactions usually neutralize natural acids.
However, if precipitation becomes too acidic, these materials may not be able to neutralize
all of the acids. Over time, these neutralizing materials can be washed away by acid rain.
Damage to crops, trees, lakes, rivers, and animals can result.

Acid Rain Can Cause Health Problems in People

Air pollution like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can cause
respiratory diseases, or can make these diseases worse.
Respiratory diseases like asthmaor chronic bronchitis make it
hard for people to breathe. The pollution that causes acid rain
can also create tiny particles. When these particles get into
peoples lungs, they can cause health problems, or can make
existing health problems worse. Also, nitrogen oxides cause
ground-level ozone. This ground-level ozone causes respiratory problems,
like pneumonia and bronchitis, and can even cause permanent lung damage. The
health effects that people have to worry about are not caused by the acid rain, but
are caused when people breathe in these tiny particles or ozone. Swimming in an
acidic lake or walking in an acidic puddle is no more harmful to people than
swimming or walking in clean water.

Acid Rain Harms Forests

Acid rain can be extremely harmful to forests. Acid rain that seeps into the
ground can dissolve nutrients, such as magnesium and calcium, that trees need to
be healthy. Acid rain also causes aluminum to be released into the soil, which makes
it difficult for trees to take up water. Trees that are located in mountainous
regions at higher elevations, such as spruce or fir trees, are at greater risk
because they are exposed to acidic clouds and fog, which contain greater amounts
of acid than rain or snow. The acidic clouds and fog strip important nutrients from
their leaves and needles. This loss of nutrients makes it easier for infections,
insects, and cold weather to damage trees and forests.

Acid Rain Damages Lakes and Streams

Without pollution or acid rain, most lakes and streams would have a pH level near
6.5. Acid rain, however, has caused many lakes and streams in the northeast United
States and certain other places to have much lower pH levels. In addition, aluminum
that is released into the soil eventually ends up in lakes and streams.
Unfortunately, this increase in acidity and aluminum levels can be deadly to aquatic
wildlife, including phytoplankton, mayflies, rainbow trout, small mouth bass, frogs,
spotted salamanders, crayfish, and other creatures that are part of the food web.
This problem can become much worse during heavy downpours of rain or when the
snow begins to melt in the spring. These types of events are known as episodic
acidification.