acid rain presentation

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What is Acid Rain?

Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms. This can include rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic.

What Causes Acid Rain?

This image illustrates the pathway for acid rain in our environment.

Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen oxides (NO X ) are emitted into the atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The SO 2 and NO X react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These then mix with water and other materials before falling to the ground.

While a small portion of the SO 2 and NO X that cause acid rain is from natural sources such as volcanoes, most of it comes from the burning of fossil fuels. The major sources of SO 2 and NO X in the atmosphere are:

Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity. Two thirds of SO 2 and one fourth of NO X in the atmosphere come from electric power generators.
Vehicles and heavy equipment.
Manufacturing, oil refineries and other industries.

Winds can blow SO 2 and NO X over long distances and across borders making acid rain a problem for everyone and not just those who live close to these sources.

Forms of Acid Deposition

Wet deposition.

Wet deposition is what we most commonly think of as acid rain . The sulfuric and nitric acids formed in the atmosphere fall to the ground mixed with rain, snow, fog, or hail.

Dry Deposition

Acidic particles and gases can also deposit from the atmosphere in the absence of moisture as dry deposition . The acidic particles and gases may deposit to surfaces (water bodies, vegetation, buildings) quickly or may react during atmospheric transport to form larger particles that can be harmful to human health. When the accumulated acids are washed off a surface by the next rain, this acidic water flows over and through the ground, and can harm plants and wildlife, such as insects and fish.

The amount of acidity in the atmosphere that deposits to earth through dry deposition depends on the amount of rainfall an area receives. For example, in desert areas the ratio of dry to wet deposition is higher than an area that receives several inches of rain each year.

Measuring Acid Rain

A diagram showing where various substances fall on the pH scale.

Policymakers, research scientists, ecologists, and modelers rely on the National Atmospheric Deposition Program’s (NADP) National Trends Network (NTN) for measurements of wet deposition. The NADP/NTN collects acid rain at more than 250 monitoring sites throughout the US, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands. Unlike wet deposition, dry deposition is difficult and expensive to measure. Dry deposition estimates for nitrogen and sulfur pollutants are provided by the Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET). Air concentrations are measured by CASTNET at more than 90 locations.

When acid deposition is washed into lakes and streams, it can cause some to turn acidic. The Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) Network measures and monitors surface water chemistry at over 280 sites to provide valuable information on aquatic ecosystem health and how water bodies respond to changes in acid-causing emissions and acid deposition.

Next, learn about the Effects of Acid Rain .

Or, learn more about:

Clean Air Markets
Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET)
National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)
Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) Network
Acid Rain Home
Effects of Acid Rain
Acid Rain Program
Acid Rain Program Results

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How many times will life remind us that we only have one planet Earth? Air pollution is a critical issue that has a significant impact on our environment and health. One of the most damaging consequences of air pollution is acid rain, which can cause damage to trees, crops, and waterways. The meaning of this is a serious one, so wait no more to raise awareness about this issue. For a better result, get our template and prepare a slideshow that is informative and visual. The slides have dark orange backgrounds, with some illustrations of dead trees and smoking chimneys. If that's not a visual metaphor, we don't know what else is.

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