acid rain is an atmospheric phenomenoncaused on a local or regional scale, by the precipitation of rain laden withlots of acids, resulting from the release of pollutants produced by human activities.
Even in unpolluted environments, rains are always acidic. The combination of carbon dioxide and water present in the atmosphere produces carbonic acid which, although in small amounts, makes the rains normally acidic.
The main responsible for the precipitation of rains with high levels of acidity in the atmosphere are sulfur trioxide, resulting from the combination of sulfur dioxide with oxygen, and nitrogen dioxide released into the atmosphere, when they combine with suspended water, they transform into sulfuric acid, nitric and nitrous acid respectively. These acids have a high corrosion capacity.
The concentration of sulfur trioxide in large quantities in the atmosphere is a result of the increased use of fossil fuels in transport, thermoelectric plants and industries. About 90% of this gas is emitted by burning coal and oil. Nitrogen dioxide is largely emitted by motor vehicles.
The relationship between acid rain and atmospheric pollution has been a phenomenon verified since the Industrial Revolution. By 1872, there was already a large concentration of sulfuric acid in the London air as a result of the burning of coal. The countries that emit the most polluting gases are the industrialized ones in the northern hemisphere.
consequences of acid rain
In nature, acid rain causes a great impact hundreds of kilometers from polluting sources. In addition to the destruction of fauna and flora, the soil is exposed to erosion. Acid rain also alters the ecological balance of rivers and lakes that become acidified, with a Ph less than 2.3, killing species and completely unbalancing the aquatic ecosystem. Another impact caused by acid rain is corrosion on metals, paintings and historic monuments in major polluting centers.
