Public Health Effects of Acid Rain

Public Health Effects of Acid Rain

Introduction

The mixture of wet deposition and dry deposited material derived from the atmosphere around us with slightly higher than the normal level of sulfuric and nitric acid. The chemical forerunner or precursor of acid rains formation which results from both natural source which is volcanoes and decayed vegetation and man-made source which are majorly emissions of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide which result from combustion of fossil fuel.

In United States, two thirds of Sulfur dioxide and one fourth of Nitrogen oxide comes from the generation of electric power that relies on burning of coal and other fossil fuels. When there is reaction in the atmosphere of oxygen, water with other relevant chemicals, which is when acid rain occurs for the formation of several compounds of acidic nature. This results in mild solutions of both nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide. When these are, released from plants and other such sources, the wind prevailing blows the compound through the state and across the borders, at times through many miles.

Acid Rain

When rain has low levels of pH and is unusually acidic in nature it means that it possesses high levels of hydrogen ions and the rain is, known as Acid rain. This type of rain can be harmful to plants, animals that live in water and manmade infrastructure. The cause behind Acid rain is two components that make the water so acidic in nature; nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide. These components react with water molecules in the environment, which produces acid. For years now since 1970's governments have been making efforts for the reduction of sulfur dioxide from the atmosphere and are finally getting positive results now. Nitrogen oxide produced naturally by strikes of lightening and sulfur is, produced by volcanic eruptions. The chemicals in rain with acid causes paint to peel, causes steel structures such as a bridge to corrode and stone structure to erode. The effect is corrosive of polluted, city air, which is acidic as it affects marble and limestone, noted by John Evelyn in the 17th century who noticed the Aruden marbles eroding and their condition becoming poorer with time.

Industrial Revolution has led to the emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which has made the environment a lot more polluted. Robert Angus Smith in the year 1852 was the first individual who showed the relationship between the pollution in the atmosphere and the cause being acid rain, in England. Acid rain may have been, discovered in the year 1853, but it was not until the late 1960 that the phenomenon was widely, studied and observed by scientists. Robert Angus Smith gave it the name Acid rain in the year 1872.

The first scientist to research on a dead lake was from Canada, Harold Harvey. It was after the New York Times published a report on the Experiment conducted in New Hemisphere, that the public started paying attention to acid rain being an issue in United ...