Impacts of Acid Rain

Impacts of Acid Rain : Because of Acidified lakes

Crayfish and clam populations are the first to disappear, then various types of fish, crustaceans, insects, and some plankton species begin to disappear.
Major changes in the makeup of the plankton community occur. Less desirable species of mosses and plankton may begin to invade.. Lake-bottom plants and mosses, for instance, thrive in acid lakes. So do blackfly larvae.
More often, fish gradually disappear from these waterways as their environment slowly becomes intolerable and then tend to disappear.
As the water becomes devoid of fish, the bottom is covered with undecayed material. The nearshore areas may be dominated by mosses. Terrestrial animals, dependent on aquatic ecosystems, for food and nourishment, are affected.
Even those species that appear to be surviving may be suffering from acid stress in a number of different ways. One of the first signs of acid stress is the failure of females to spawn. Sometimes, even if the female is successful in spawning the hatchlings or fry are unable to survive in the highly acidic waters.

Sulfuric acid in polluted precipitation interferes with the fish's proficiency to take in oxygen, salt, and nutrients. For freshwater fish, maintaining osmoregulation (the ability to maintain a state of balance between salt and minerals in the organism's tissue) is essential to stay alive. Acid molecules cause mucus to form in their gills preventing the fish to absorb oxygen well. Also, a low pH level will throw off the balance of salt in the fish's tissue. Calcium levels of some fish cannot be maintained due to the changes in pH level. This causes a problem in reproduction: the eggs are too brittle or weak. Lacking calcium causes weak spines and deformities in bones. Sometimes when acid rainfall runs off the land, it carries fertilizers with it. Fertilizer helps stimulate the growth of algae because of the amount of nitrogen in it. However, because of the increase in the death of fish the decomposition takes up even more oxygen. This takes away from surviving fish. In other terms, acid rain does not help aquatic ecosystems in anyway. Also not all lakes that are exposed to acid rain become acidified. In areas where there is plenty of limestone rock, lakes are better able to neutralize acid

General Impacts of Acid Rain

Acid rain kills aquatic life, trees, crops and other vegetation, damages buildings and monuments, corrodes copper and lead piping, damages such man-made things as automobiles, reduces soil fertility and can cause toxic metals to leach into underground drinking water sources. Acid rain affects lakes, streams, rivers, bays, ponds and other bodies of water by increasing their acidity until fish and other aquatic creatures can no longer live. These toxic metals are bad for human health; high lead levels may harm people who drink such water and people who ingest mercury in tainted fish suffer serious health problems. Most of the frogs and insects also die when the water reaches pH 4.5.

Acid rain harms more than aquatic life. It also harms vegetation. The forests of the Federal Republic of Germany and elsewhere in Western Europe, for example, are believed to be dying because of acid rain. Scientists believe that acid rain damages the protective waxy coating of leaves and allows acids to diffuse into them, which interrupts the evaporation of water and gas exchange so that the plant no longer can breathe. This stops the plant's conversion of nutrients and water into a form useful for plant growth and affects crop yields.

Most importantly, acid rain can affect health of a human being. It can harm us through the atmosphere or through the soil from which our food is grown and eaten from. Acid rain causes toxic metals to break loose from their natural chemical compounds. Toxic metals themselves are dangerous, but if they are combined with other elements, they are harmless. They release toxic metals that might be absorbed by the drinking water, crops, or animals that human consume. These foods that are consumed could cause nerve damage to children or severe brain damage or death. Scientists believe that one metal, aluminum, is suspected to relate to Alzheimer's disease. One of the serious side effects of acid rain on human is respiratory problems. The sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emission gives risk to respiratory problems such as dry coughs, asthma, headaches, eye, nose, and throat irritation. Polluted rainfall is especially harmful to those who suffer from asthma or those who have a hard time breathing. But even healthy people can have their lungs damaged by acid air pollutants. Acid rain can aggravate a person's ability to breathe and may increase disease which could lead to death.

Conclusion

One of the serious side effects of acid rain on human is respiratory problems. The sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emission (two major sources of acid rain) gives risk to respiratory problems such as dry coughs, asthma, headaches, eye, nose, and throat irritation. Polluted rainfall is especially harmful to those who suffer from asthma or those who have a hard time breathing. But even healthy people can have their lungs damaged by acid air pollutants. Acid rain can aggravate a person's ability to breathe and may increase disease which could lead to death. The only cost-effective solution to the problem, according to many people, is to reduce emissions at their point of origin