12-3 Acid Preci p itation

12-3 Acid Precipitation

Page 314

A. What causes acid precipitation?

• 1. Precipitation (rain, snow, or sleet) that contains a high concentration of acids.


• 2. Burning of fossil fuels releases nitrogen and sulfur which combine with water vapor in the atmosphere.


• 3. Sulfuric and Nitric acids form and fall as acid rain.


• 4. pH can be used to measure how acidic(1-6) or basic (8-14) a substance is.


• 5. Pure water is neutral and has a pH of 7.

B. How acid precipitation affects soils and plants

• 1. It lowers the pH of soil and water.


• 2. An increase in the concentration of acid is called acidification.


• 3. Plants suffer because some nutrients get dissolved and washed away while the roots become damaged.

C. Acid Precipitation and Aquatic Ecosystems

• 1. Ph levels that are too low kill fish.


• 2. Acid also causes aluminum to leave soil and enter water source which slowly suffocates fish by getting stuck in their gills.


• 3. In the spring, acidic ice from winter melts and enters water which causes acidic shock (sudden increase of acid).

D. Acid Precipitation and Humans

• 1. Released aluminum and mercury may find its way into fish, crops, and water.


• 2. Possibly linked to respiratory diseases.


• 3. Negatively affects fisheries and forestry.


• 4. Dissolves calcium carbonate which is common in concrete, marble, and limestone.

E. International Conflict and Cooperation

• 1. One problem with acid precipitation is that pollutants may be released in one spot and fall in another spot.

E. International Conflict and Cooperation

• 2. For example, some acid rain that falls in Canada in produced by the US.

• 3. The Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement was signed in 1991.

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12-3 Acid Preci p itation