|
To Know about Acid Rain and its effects.... Click on this link... Acid Rain
Another
effect of air pollution is acid rain. The phenomenon occurs when sulphur dioxide
and nitrogen oxides from the burning of fossil fuels such as, petrol, diesel,
and coal combine with water vapour in the atmosphere and fall as rain, snow or
fog. These gases can also be emitted from natural sources like volcanoes. Acid
rain causes extensive damage to water, forest, soil resources and even human
health. Many lakes and streams have been contaminated and this has led to the
disappearance of some species of fish in Europe, USA and Canada as also
extensive damage to forests and other forms of life. It is said that it can
corrode buildings and be hazardous to human health. Because the contaminants are
carried long distances, the sources of acid rain are difficult to pinpoint and
hence difficult to control. For example, the acid rain that may have damaged
some forest in Canada could have originated in the industrial areas of USA. In
fact, this has created disagreements between Canada and the United States and
among European countries over the causes of and solutions to the problem of acid
rain. The international scope of the problem has led to the signing of
international agreements on the limitation of sulphur and nitrogen oxide
emissions.
|