Monday, July 19, 2010

Where Does Acid Rain Come From ?

Acid rain is nothing but the regular rain that has turned acidic. There are several causes for acid rain, and one of the main reasons among them is high levels of pollution. Several industries, vehicles and power generating plants are dependant on fossil fuels like coal and oil for their operations.Almost everyone depends on power, and vehicles to run people's everyday lives.

However, these things would require coal or oil to be burnt to function. When these fossil fuels are burnt, they emit sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide into the air. These gases are hot in temperature, and they rise high. Raindrops absorb these chemicals when they condense and fall. When these gases that are absorbed by the raindrops react with carbon and sunlight, they turn into acids and the raindrop also turns acidic as a result. Acid rain is nothing but a simple chemical reaction that converts water into acid.

However, when the pollution is high and when it rains, this chemical reaction takes place in large scale. This leads to massive acid rain scenario. When acid rain falls at large, it can cause severe damage to plants, humans and also sea life. There are several forms of acid rain like acid fog, acid mist, and acid snow. All these can prove to be very dangerous for humans, plants and animals. The acidic gases and particles present in the atmosphere are called dry depositions. These can be present even on top of leaves and plants and when they get washed by rain, the rain can become acidic.

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