Acid Rain

Acid Rain-By Shaswat Anand

If you all think acid rain is rain mixed with harmful gases, then you may be wrong. Because when these gases mix with dust or smoke, it's dry acid rain. Acid rain is a complex phenomena. Acid rain describes any form of precipitation that contains high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. It can also occur in the form of snow, fog, and tiny bits of dry material that settle to Earth. Normal rain is slightly acidic, with a pH of 5.6, while acid rain generally has a pH of 4.2 to 4.4. This pH cab severely harm you and the aquatic ecosystem. When humans burn fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are released into the atmosphere. Those air pollutants react with water, oxygen, and other substances to form airborne sulfuric and nitric acid. SO2 mixes with O2 to form SO3, this further mixes with water(H20) to form sulphuric acid. Winds may spread these acidic compounds through the atmosphere and over hundreds of miles. When acid rain reaches Earth, it flows across the surface in runoff water, enters water systems, and sinks into the soil. This could even cause bio magnification. Rotting vegetation and erupting volcanoes release some chemicals that can cause acid rain, but most acid rain is a product of human activities. The biggest sources are coal-burning powerplants, factories, and automobiles. Human-triggered changes in the atmosphere that produce acid rain are severely altering the chemistry and functionality of soils all over the globe. When the soil's buffering ability is nearly exceeded, the surplus acidification makes aluminum available in the soil, where it can be taken up by plants and washed into nearby streams, rivers and lakes. In India acid rain is causing yellowing of The Taj Mahal. So we need to use more of the CNG vehicles or the Battery powered vehicles to stop acid rain. Moreover factories need to strictly follow the rules for deposition of these gases above the required level.