What is acid rain US EPA?
Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms. This can include rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic.
Does the US have acid rain?
Some acid rain occurs naturally, but sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from smokestacks combine with rain to make sulfuric and nitric acid in amounts that harm the environment. The region of the United States most harmed by acid rain is the East Coast, including the Appalachian Mountains and the Northeast.
Is acid rain harmful to humans?
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 asthma or chronic bronchitis make it hard for people to breathe.
How does acid rain affect us?
What has the US done for acid rain?
The Acid Rain Program (ARP) has delivered significant reductions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants, extensive environmental and human health benefits, and far lower-than-expected costs.
Where in the United States have lakes been most affected by acid rain?
Their work used data from a survey by the Environmental Protection Agency of 1,180 lakes and 4,670 streams in what EPA determined to be acid-sensitive areas of the United States. The area where lakes were most likely to have been affected by acid rain was the Adirondack mountains of Upstate New York.
Can you drink acid rain?
Humans are affected when we breathe in air pollution, this can cause breathing problems, and even cancer. Drinking water which has been contaminated with acid rain can cause brain damage over time.
Is lemon juice more acidic than acid rain?
Each level of the pH scale represents the power of 10. Sulfuric acid measures 1 on the pH scale. It is 10 times more acidic than lemon juice and 100 times more acidic than orange juice (10 x 10). Normal rain is slightly acidic naturally with a pH of 5.6. This is because the rain combines with carbon dioxide in the air.
What is the balanced equation for acid rain?
Acid rain is formed when nitrogen oxides or sulfur oxides in the atmosphere react with suspended water droplets and produce acids. The chemical reaction equation for the production of acid rain resulting from sulfur oxides is: SO2 + HOH -> H2SO3. The reaction equation for acid rain produced from nitrogen oxides is: 2NO2 + HOH -> HNO2 + HNO3.
What is the harm of acid rain?
Acid rain is very harmful to agriculture, plants, and animals. It washes away all nutrients which are required for the growth and survival of plants. Acid rain affects agriculture by the way how it alters the composition of the soil. It causes respiratory issues in animals and humans.
Why is acid rain so bad?
The acid in acid rain drains important minerals from the leaves and the soil, and is very bad for plants, trees and agricultural land. If the soil is alkaline; when acid rain falls on it the acid becomes neutral and so the plants are not hugely affected, but it the soil is slightly acidic, it can be disastrous.
What are facts about acid rain?
Acid rain makes waters acidic and causes them to absorb the aluminum. that makes its way from soil into lakes and streams. can cause acid rain, but most acid rain falls because of human.