This article discusses overall air pollution, the main contributors, what happens, why it’s bad, and the effects on humans and life in general when the air is polluted. It mentions the 6 major air pollutants, which are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, and lead. But of these six, only 2 have the ability to cause acid rain, those two being sulfur dioxide which damages foliage, buildings, monuments, etc., and particulate matter which changes the pH balance of waterways and also damages the things mentioned previously. The article talks about how acid rain is mainly an issue in only a few countries, the US being one of them, but stronger air pollution regulation has helped prevent acid rain from being a bigger problem.
This is environmental science because acid rain was a really big problem in the ‘70s and ’80s but isn’t so much because of air pollution restrictions and the use of environmental science to decrease pollution. This article was very interesting because I didn’t realize it was only 2 chemicals that could lead to acid rain, in addition, I didn’t know that it changed the pH of waterways. Also, I just knew very little about acid rain, I didn’t even realize it was an issue in the US at one point, so this article very much expanded my limited knowledge on acid rain and its effects.
Nathanson, J. A. (2023, August 25). air pollution. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/air-pollution
It’s fascinating to that acid rain can be caused by only two chemicals and that it changes the pH balance of streams. However, I’m curious about the long-term implications of acid rain on ecosystems and whether any research efforts are underway to alleviate these effects.
It seems like acid rain can dissolve nutrients that are necessary to plant health and growth. However, it doesn’t seem like there is anything that can really be done to alleviate these effects, other than reduce the use of fossil fuels and use more renewable energy.
I do agree, it is very interesting that acid rain contains two chemicals. It doesn’t seem like overall it has been an issue for the last couple of years but it still seems like it has affected the pollution. Is it possible for it to be as bad as the 70s and 80s?
It seems like it is definitely possible, but with some of the restrictions we have in place now for things like air pollution, it’s unlikely.
I agree that acid rain is a problem that is not talked about enough and this is due to the fact that it doesnt affect everyone which means that not everyone cares and until it becomes a world wide issue not much will be done in my opinion.Is acid rain an issue that we should be worried about for the future?
Unless all the initiatives to reduce fossil fuel use fail, it doesn’t seem like acid rain is a major issue. Obviously, it is still affecting people and places, but it isn’t an issue that is likely to cause major problems in the future because it is caused by fossil fuel use, and generally people are turning more towards renewable energy.