Essay
Environmental science - acid rain
- Module
- Environmental science
- Institution
- University Of Central Lancashire Preston (UClan)
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Ryan MulcahyThis assignment is about the topic of acid rain. The author will be discussing about the
discovery of acid rain, what the main causes are, what dry deposition is, how it is
transported and finally, the substantial damage it has on buildings. This assignment will
then be ended with a conclusion that will entail what has been discussed and a brief
outcome on the overall impact acid rain has.
Acid Rain
Acid rain was discovered by a scientist named Robert Angus Smith, he was an
environmentalist who discovered this in 1853. He concluded his results due to
discovering the connection between industrialisation pollution and the levels of acidity of
rainfall during the periods of the early 1850s. In 1872, he published a book called ‘Air
and rain: the beginning of a chemical climatology’. Although acidic rain was discovered
in the early 1850s, it was not until the 1960s that scientists began to observe and study
this type of phenomenon.
http://www.rsc.org/diversity/175-faces/all-faces/robert-angus-smith Available at
[Rsc.org] Accessed 21/11/2017).
Acid rain can be formed due to an increase in levels of sulphur dioxide and also
nitrogen oxide; within the United Kingdom, this mainly occurs up the northern regions as
the north was known for having a great volume of factories. Anything less than a Ph.
level of 5.6 is deemed as acid rain.
Industrial companies burn fossil fuels such as coal and oil, that release the gas
compounds known as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide; once these gases are burned,
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, Ryan Mulcahy
they will then circulate into high into the atmosphere. It is in the atmosphere where
these gases will bond with water, oxygen and other chemicals to produce acid rain.
Other factors that contribute to acid rain are: rotting vegetation, mass amount of the
production of methane, decomposition, lightning strikes and also erupting volcanoes.
https://www3.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatcauses.html Available at
[Acid rain student site] (Accessed 22/11/2017).
Dry deposition
Around half of the acidity that will be created within the earth’s atmosphere will then
begin to make its descent towards earth known through the term, dry deposition.
Dry deposition is acidic gas molecules having an impact on solid particles. This can be
commonly found in: smoke, and dust; these are suspended in air. Dry deposition will
stick to the object that it has fallen onto. This can be: cars, trees, agriculture, houses,
statues etc. However, this can be runoff by rainstorms and can cause streaking in
metals.
Transportation
The most common way that acid rain can reach the earth’s surface would be via wind
and rain. The wind can help travel the acid rain for thousands of miles. However, when
it rains, acid rain can fall and be blown onto buildings, cars, houses, dress, monuments,
statues etc.
When acid rain falls onto trees, it can drain the minerals away from the leaves and soil
and can cause the tree to die. This can have an impact on agricultural ground. In major
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