Acid phrases in modern, especially urban life have become commonplace. Summer residents often complain that after such unpleasant precipitation, the plants begin to wither, and a whitish or yellowish coating appears in the puddles.

What it is

Science has a definite answer to the question of what acid rain is. These are all known whose water is below normal. pH 7 is considered the norm. If the study shows an underestimation of this figure in precipitation, they are considered acidic. In the context of an ever-increasing industrial boom, the acidity of rain, snow, fog and hail is hundreds of times higher than normal.

Causes

Acid rain falls again and again. The reasons lie in toxic emissions from industrial facilities, car exhaust gases, and to a much lesser extent - in the decay of natural elements. The atmosphere is filled with sulfur and nitric oxides, hydrogen chloride and other compounds that form acids. The result is acid rain.

There are precipitation and alkaline content. They contain calcium or ammonia ions. The concept of "acid rain" also fits them. This is explained by the fact that, getting into a reservoir or soil, such precipitation affects the change in the water-alkaline balance.

What causes acid precipitation

Of course, the oxidation of the surrounding nature does not entail anything good. Acid rain is extremely harmful. The reasons for the death of vegetation after the fall of such precipitation lie in the fact that many minerals are leached from the earth by acids. useful elements In addition, there is also pollution hazardous metals: aluminum, lead and others. Polluted sediments cause mutations and death of fish in water bodies, improper development of vegetation in rivers and lakes. They also have a detrimental effect on the normal environment: they significantly contribute to the destruction of natural facing materials, and cause accelerated corrosion of metal structures.

Having become acquainted with common characteristic of this atmospheric phenomenon, it can be concluded that the problem of acid rain is one of the most urgent from the point of view of ecology.

Scientific research

It is important to dwell in more detail on the scheme of chemical pollution of nature. acid rain- Causes of many disturbances in the environment. Such a characteristic of precipitation appeared in the second half of the 19th century, when a chemist from Great Britain R. Smith identified the content in vapors and smoke hazardous substances, which strongly change the chemical picture of precipitation. In addition, acid rain is a phenomenon that spreads over vast areas, regardless of the source of pollution. The scientist also noted the destruction that the contaminated sediments entailed: plant diseases, loss of color in tissues, accelerated spread of rust, and others.

Experts are more precise in their definition of what acid rain is. Indeed, in reality it is snow, fogs, clouds and hail. Dry precipitation with a lack of atmospheric moisture falls in the form of dust and gas.

on nature

Lakes are dying, the number of fish schools is decreasing, forests are disappearing - all this dire consequences nature's oxidation. Soils in forests are not nearly as sensitive to acidification as bodies of water, but plants perceive all changes in acidity very negatively. Like an aerosol, harmful precipitation envelops foliage and needles, impregnates trunks, and penetrates the soil. Vegetation receives chemical burns, gradually weakening and losing the ability to survive. Soils lose their fertility and saturate growing crops with toxic compounds.

biological resources

When a study of lakes in Germany was carried out, it was found that in reservoirs where the water index deviated significantly from the norm, the fish disappeared. Only in some lakes single specimens were caught.

Historical heritage

Seemingly invulnerable human creations also suffer from acid rain. The ancient Acropolis, located in Greece, is known throughout the world for the outlines of its mighty marble statues. Ages do not spare natural materials: noble rock is destroyed by winds and rains, the formation of acid rain further activates this process. Restoring historical masterpieces, modern masters did not take measures to protect metal joints from rust. The result is that acid rain, by oxidizing the iron, causes large cracks in the statues, the marble cracks due to the pressure of rust.

cultural monuments

The United Nations initiated studies on the impact of acid rain on objects cultural heritage. During them, the negative effects of the action of rain on the most beautiful stained-glass windows of cities were proved. Western Europe. Thousands of colored glasses are at risk of sinking into oblivion. Until the 20th century, they delighted people with their strength and originality, but the last decades, overshadowed by acid rain, threaten to destroy the magnificent stained glass paintings. Dust saturated with sulfur destroys antique leather and paper items. Ancient items under influence lose their resistance ability atmospheric phenomena, become brittle and soon crumble to dust.

Ecological catastrophy

Acid rain is a serious problem for the survival of mankind. Unfortunately the reality modern life need more expansion industrial production, which increases the volume of poisonous The population of the planet is increasing, the standard of living is rising, there are more and more cars, energy consumption is going through the roof. At the same time, only CHP Russian Federation pollute every year environment million tons of anhydride containing sulfur.

Acid rain and ozone holes

Ozone holes are no less common and cause more serious concern. Explaining the essence of this phenomenon, it must be said that this is not a real rupture of the atmospheric shell, but a violation in the thickness of the ozone layer, which is located approximately 8-15 km from the Earth and extends into the stratosphere up to 50 km. The accumulation of ozone largely absorbs harmful solar ultraviolet radiation, protecting the planet from the strongest radiation. That is why ozone holes and acid rain are threats to the normal life of the planet, requiring the closest attention.

The integrity of the ozone layer

The beginning of the 20th century added chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to the list of human inventions. Their feature was exceptional stability, no smell, incombustibility, no toxic effect. CFCs gradually began to be introduced everywhere into the production of various cooling units (from cars to medical complexes), fire extinguishers, and household aerosols.

Only by the end of the second half of the twentieth century, chemists Sherwood Roland and Mario Molina suggested that these miracle substances, otherwise called freons, strongly affect the ozone layer. At the same time, CFCs can “hover” in the air for decades. Gradually rising from the ground, they reach the stratosphere, where ultraviolet radiation destroys freon compounds, releasing chlorine atoms. As a result of this process, ozone is converted into oxygen much faster than in normal natural conditions.

The terrible thing is that only a few chlorine atoms are required to modify hundreds of thousands of ozone molecules. In addition, chlorofluorocarbons are considered greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. In fairness, it should be added that nature itself also contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer. Thus, volcanic gases contain up to a hundred compounds, including carbons. Natural freons contribute to the active thinning of the ozone layer above the poles of our planet.

What can be done?

Finding out what the danger of acid rain is is no longer relevant. Now on the agenda in every state, at every industrial enterprise, first of all, there should be measures to ensure the purity of the surrounding air.

In Russia, giant factories such as RUSAL, in last years very responsibly began to approach this issue. They spare no expense to install modern reliable filters and purification facilities that prevent oxides and heavy metals from entering the atmosphere.

Increasingly, alternative methods of generating energy are being used that do not entail dangerous consequences. Wind and solar energy (for example, in everyday life and for cars) is no longer a fantasy, but a successful practice that helps to reduce the amount of harmful emissions.

Expansion of forest plantations, cleaning of rivers and lakes, proper recycling of garbage - all this effective methods in the fight against environmental pollution.

Pollution of the atmosphere with compounds of sulfuric and nitric acids, followed by precipitation is called acidicrains. Acid rains are formed as a result of the emission of sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere by enterprises of the fuel and energy complex, vehicles, as well as chemical and metallurgical plants. When analyzing the composition of acid rain, the main attention is paid to the content of hydrogen cations, which determine its acidity (pH). For pure water pH pH = 7, which corresponds to a neutral reaction. Solutions with a pH below 7 are acidic, above - alkaline. The entire range of acidity-alkalinity is covered by pH values ​​from 0 to 14.

About two thirds of acid rain is caused by sulfur dioxide. The remaining third is mainly due to nitrogen oxides, which also serve as one of the causes of the greenhouse effect and are part of urban smog.

The industry of different countries annually emits more than 120 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, which, reacting with atmospheric moisture, turns into sulfuric acid. Once in the atmosphere, these pollutants can be carried by the wind thousands of kilometers from their source and return to the ground in rain, snow or fog. They turn lakes, rivers and ponds into "dead" reservoirs, destroying almost all life in them - from fish to microorganisms and vegetation, destroying forests, destroying buildings and architectural monuments. Many animals and plants cannot survive in conditions of high acidity. Acid rains not only cause acidification of surface waters and upper soil horizons, but also spread with descending water flows to the entire soil profile and cause significant acidification of groundwater.

Sulfur is found in minerals such as coal, oil, copper and iron ore, while some of them are used as fuel, while others are processed in the chemical and metallurgical industries. During processing, sulfur is converted into various chemical compounds, among which sulfur dioxide and sulfates predominate. The formed compounds are partially captured by treatment devices, the rest of them are emitted into the atmosphere.

Sulfates are formed during the combustion of liquid fuels and during industrial processes such as oil refining, the production of cement and gypsum, and sulfuric acid. When burning liquid fuels, about 16% of the total amount of sulfates is formed.

Although acid rain does not create global problems such as global warming and ozone depletion, its impact extends far beyond the source country.

Acid rain and reservoirs. As a rule, the pH of most rivers and lakes is 6...8, but with a high content of mineral and organic acids in their waters, the pH is much lower. The process of getting acid rain into water bodies (rivers, ponds, lakes and reservoirs) includes many stages, at each of which their pH can both decrease and increase. For example, a change in the pH of sediments is possible when they move along the forest floor, interact with minerals, products of the activity of microorganisms.

All living things are sensitive to changes in pH, so the increase in the acidity of water bodies causes irreparable harm to fish stocks. In Canada, for example, due to frequent acid rains, more than 4,000 lakes have been declared dead, and another 12,000 are on the verge of death. The biological balance of 18 thousand lakes in Sweden has been disturbed. Fish have disappeared from half of the lakes in southern Norway.

Due to the death of phytoplankton sunlight penetrates deeper than usual. Therefore, all the lakes that died from acid rains are amazingly transparent and unusually blue.

Acid rain and forests. Acid rain causes great damage to forests, gardens, and parks. Leaves fall, young shoots become brittle, like glass, and die. Trees become more susceptible to diseases and pests, up to 50% of their root system dies off, mainly the small roots that feed the tree. In Germany, almost a third of all spruce trees have already been destroyed by acid rain. In wooded areas such as Bavaria and Baden, up to half of the forest land has been affected. Acid rains cause damage not only to forests located on the plains, a number of damages have been registered in the high-mountain forests of Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.

Acid rain and crop yieldstour. It has been established that the effects of acid rain on agricultural crops are determined not only by their acidity and cationic composition, but also by the duration and air temperature. In the general case, it has been established that the dependence of the growth and maturation of agricultural crops on the acidity of precipitation indicates the relationship between plant physiology, the development of microorganisms, and a number of other factors. Hence, it is obvious that it is necessary to quantitatively take into account all the components of acid rain that affect the yield and quality of products, as well as the complex processes of the functioning of soil biota for each specific region.

Acid rain and materials. The impact of acid rain on a wide range of structural materials is becoming more and more evident every year. Thus, the accelerated corrosion of metals under the influence of acid precipitation, as noted by the American press, leads to the death of aircraft and bridges in the United States. A serious problem, as you know, was the preservation of ancient monuments in Greece and Italy. The main damaging ingredients are hydrogen cation, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, as well as ozone, formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide.

The intensity of the destruction of materials depends on: their porosity, since the higher the specific surface, the greater its sorption capacity; from design features, since in the presence of various recesses they are collectors of acid precipitation; on operating conditions: wind speed, temperature, air humidity, etc.

In practice, the greatest attention is paid to three groups of materials: from metals - stainless steel and galvanized iron; from building materials - materials for external structures of buildings; from protective - paints, varnishes and polymers for surface coatings. When exposed to precipitation and gases, their damaging effect is due to the intensity of catalytic reactions involving metals, as well as synergism (synergism is the ability of one substance to enhance the effect of another), while uniform corrosion is most often observed.

According to the European Parliament, the economic damage from acid rain is 4% of the gross national product. This should be taken into account when choosing a strategy to deal with acid rain in the long term.

Specific measures to reduce sulfur emissions into the atmosphere are implemented in two directions:

use of low-sulphur coals at CHPPs;

emission cleaning.

Low-sulfur coals are considered with a sulfur content of less than 1%, and high-sulfur coals with a sulfur content of more than 3%. To reduce the chance of acid rain formation, sour coals are pre-treated. The composition of coal usually includes pyrite and organic sulfur. Modern multi-stage methods of coal purification make it possible to extract up to 90% of all pyrite sulfur from it, i.e. up to 65% of its total. To remove organic sulfur, methods of chemical and microbiological treatment are currently being developed.

Similar methods should be applied to sour crudes. World reserves of oil with a low sulfur content (up to 1%) are small and do not exceed 15%.

When burning fuel oil with a high sulfur content, special chemical additives are used to reduce the content of sulfur dioxide in emissions.

One of the simplest ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides during fuel combustion is to carry out the process under conditions of oxygen deficiency, which is ensured by the rate of air supply to the combustion zone. In Japan, the technology of "afterburning" of primary combustion products has been developed. In this case, first, the fuel (oil, gas) is burned in the optimal mode for the formation of nitrogen oxides, and then the unreacted fuel is destroyed in the afterburning zone. At the same time, reactions leading to the reduction of oxides and their release are reduced by 80%.

The next direction in solving this problem is to abandon the practice of dispersing gaseous emissions. They should not be scattered, relying on the vast scale of the atmosphere, but, on the contrary, should be captured and concentrated.

The most effective way to clean emissions from sulfur dioxide is based on its reaction with crushed lime. As a result of the reaction, 90% of sulfur dioxide binds to lime, forming gypsum, which can be used in construction. Thus, a thermal power plant with a capacity of 500 MW, equipped with an installation for cleaning emissions, produces 600 thousand m 3 of gypsum per year.

A promising measure to reduce harmful impacts is the establishment of emission limits. Thus, the US Environmental Protection Agency has set a limit on the total emission of sulfur dioxide in the country, providing for its annual reduction. This event had a certain positive effect.

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Acid rain is a mixture of materials, both wet and dry, that fall to earth from the atmosphere. They contain elevated level nitric and sulfuric acids. Simply put, this means that the rain becomes acidic due to the presence of pollutants in the air. Air changes its composition due to emissions from machines and manufacturing processes. The main component of acid rain is nitrogen. Sulfur is also found in acid rain.

The combustion of fossil fuels and industries that mainly emit nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) cause irreversible changes in the atmosphere. Acidity is determined based on the pH level in water droplets. Normal rainwater is slightly acidic with a pH range of 5.3-6.0. Carbon dioxide and water present in the air together react to form carbonic acid, which is a weak acid. When the pH level of rainwater falls below this range, the aforementioned precipitation forms.

When these gases react with water and oxygen molecules, sulfuric and nitric acids are formed, among other chemicals found in the atmosphere. They are also called chemical compounds of medium acidity. They tend to cause weathering of matter, corrosion of metal, and peeling of paint on the surface of buildings.

Volcanic eruptions also contain certain chemicals that can cause acid rain. In addition, the burning of fossil fuels, the operation of factories and vehicles as a result of human activities also lead to an increase in the acidity of formations in the atmosphere.

Currently, a large number of Acid precipitation is observed in Southeastern Canada, the Northeastern states of America and most of Europe. They suffer greatly in Russia, Sweden, Norway and Germany, at least according to unbiased statistics. Besides, in Lately acid rainfall is observed in South Asia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and South India.

Precipitation forms

Acid precipitation comes in two forms

  • wet
  • dry

Each of them has a different effect on the surface of the earth. And each of them consists of various chemical elements. It is believed that dry forms of precipitation are more harmful, since they spread over great distances, often crossing not only the borders of cities, but also states.

Wet precipitation

When the weather is wet, acids fall to the ground as rain, sleet, or fog. The climate is adjusting, driven by the need to respond. Acids are removed from the atmosphere and deposited on earth's surface. When the acid reaches the ground, it has a negative impact on a large number of animal, plant and aquatic life. Water enters rivers and canals, which mix with sea ​​water, thereby influencing marine environment a habitat.

Dry precipitation

It is a mixture of acid gases and particles. About half of the acidity in the atmosphere falls back to earth through dry deposition. If the wind blows in places where the weather is dry, acid pollutants turn into dust or smoke and fall to the ground as dry particles. These substances have a negative impact on cars, houses, trees and buildings. Nearly 50% of acid pollutants from the atmosphere are recycled through dry precipitation. These acidic pollutants can be washed away from the earth's surface by rainstorms. Then the acidity level water resources rises even more.

If wet precipitation sooner or later evaporates back into the atmosphere, then, in forests, dry precipitation clogs the pores of tree leaves.

Story

acid rain and Interesting Facts they have been known for quite some time. Acid rain was first mentioned in the 1800s, during the Industrial Revolution. Scottish chemist Robert Angus Smith was the first to report this phenomenon in 1852. He devoted his life to researching the relationship between acid rain and air pollution in Manchester, England. His work attracted public attention only in the 1960s. The term was coined in 1972 when The New York Times published reports on the impact of climate change on forest growth.

Acid precipitation is a source of both natural and man-made disasters. But there is also an opposite effect. It is these catastrophes that are most often the sources of acid rain. The main reason for this is the burning of fossil fuels, which is accompanied by emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.

natural springs

Natural sources of problematic precipitation:

  1. The main natural causative agent of acid rain is volcanic emissions. Volcanoes emit acidic gases that create abnormal acidity. Against its backdrop, a record amount of precipitation falls. The earth suffers from phenomena such as fog and snow. The vegetation cover and the health of residents in the vicinity of volcanic formations suffer.
  2. Rotting vegetation, forest fires and biological processes in the environment and generate acid rain, forming gases.
  3. Dimethyl sulfide is a typical example of the main biological sources of sulfur-containing elements in the atmosphere. It is its emissions that react with water molecules with the help of electrical activity. Nitric acid becomes acid rain.

Technogenic sources

Human activities that release chemical gases such as sulfur and nitrogen are the main cause of acid rain. It is we humans who are to blame for the fact that the atmosphere destroys the planet. This activity is associated with sources of air pollution. It is the consequences of technogenic activities that lead to sulfur and nitrogen emissions from factories, energy facilities and cars. In particular, the use of coal for electricity generation is the largest source of gaseous emissions, resulting in acid rain.

Automobiles and factories also release large amounts of gaseous emissions into the air. The worst thing is that this process is repeated daily, especially in industrialized areas of the city with big amount vehicle movement. These gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen and other chemicals with the formation of various acidic compounds, such as sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate and nitric acid. These experiments result in extremely high amounts of acid rain.

Existing winds carry these acid mixtures over large areas across borders. They fall back to earth as acid rain or other forms of precipitation. Upon reaching the ground, they spread over the surface, soaking into the soil and entering lakes, rivers, and finally mixed with sea water.

The gases sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are mainly derived from electricity from coal combustion and are the cause of acid rain.

Effects of acid rain

Acid rain has a significant impact on the environment and public health. Impact on aquatic environment very large. Acid rain either falls directly on water bodies or flows through forests, fields, and roads into streams, rivers, and lakes. Over a period of time, acids build up in the water and lower the pH. Aquatic plants and animals need certain level pH. To survive, it must remain at around 4.8. If the pH drops below, then the conditions become hostile to the survival of aquatic organisms.

Acid rain tends to change the pH and aluminum concentration. This greatly affects the pH level of the surface water, thereby affecting fish as well as other aquatic life forms. Below pH 5, most eggs will not hatch.

Lower levels can also kill adult fish. Precipitation since watersheds, which are discharged into rivers and lakes, reduce biodiversity in rivers and lakes. The water becomes more acidic. Many species, including fish, plants and various insects in lakes, rivers and streams, have become ill, and some have even been completely eradicated due to excess acid rain entering water resources.

Politicians, scientists, environmentalists and researchers are ringing bells in an attempt to educate people about the harm of acid rain. Unlike wet precipitation, dry precipitation is more difficult to measure. When acid is deposited, harmful organisms on the ground are washed into lakes and streams, which can cause uncontrolled climate change.

Recently, due to the general deterioration of the ecological situation on our planet, such an unpleasant environmental phenomenon as acid rains has become more and more frequent. The occurrence of acid rain occurs due to the interaction of air and water in the upper atmosphere with various pollution.

History of acid rain

The first acid rain in history was recorded back in 1872, just in the era of the heyday of industrialization, the mass construction of factories and factories. Needless to say, by the 20th century, this phenomenon had become many times more frequent and, of course, we inherited the inhabitants of the 21st century.

Causes of acid rain

What are the causes of acid rain? Ecologists divide them into anthropogenic and natural. Anthropogenic causes of acid rain associated with human action, these include:

  • Emissions from plants and factories of various oxides of nitrogen and sulfur. Once in the atmosphere, they interact with water vapor, resulting in the formation of sulfuric acid, which falls out in such acid rains.
  • Exhaust gases, another source of atmospheric pollution, are also another cause of acid rain.

The natural causes of acid rain are not related to human activity, as a rule, they occur as a result of volcanic eruptions, then a large amount of nitrogen-containing substances also enter the atmosphere, when interacting with which nitric acid is formed, which precipitates with acid rain.

The effects of acid rain

What are the effects of acid rain? negative consequences a lot of:

  • destruction of agricultural crops
  • water pollution,
  • deforestation,
  • diseases in people.

Contact with acid rain increases the risk of diseases such as asthma, allergies, and cancer. Acid rain pollutes rivers and lakes, making water unusable, which can kill huge populations of fish. Acid rain pollutes the soil and loses its fertility, as a result, the crop decreases. Plants also suffer from them, leaves fall off trees and the development of roots is inhibited, plants become sensitive to temperature changes.

Ways to solve the problem of acid rain

The main step in solving environmental problem acid rain, as well as the problem is to reduce the emission of harmful industrial waste, the use of cleaning filters in plants and factories. And in the future, the creation of environmentally friendly industries, in general, everything modern technologies should only be implemented after an assessment of their impact on the environment.

The gradual transition to green electric vehicles will also be a step towards overcoming the problem of acid rain. The first such Tesla cars are already slowly gaining popularity, and we really want to believe that in the future they will become ubiquitous, and gasoline cars will become history, like the old steam trains did.

Acid rain video

And finally, a small educational video about acid rain.

Acid rain is commonly referred to as any precipitation(rain, snow, hail) containing any amount of acids. The presence of acids leads to a decrease in the pH level. Hydrogen indicator

Acid rain is called any atmospheric precipitation (rain, snow, hail) containing any amount of acids. The presence of acids leads to a decrease in the pH level. Hydrogen index (pH) - a value that reflects the concentration of hydrogen ions in solutions. The lower the pH level, the more hydrogen ions in the solution, the more acidic the medium is.

For rainwater, the average pH value is 5.6. In the case when the pH of precipitation is less than 5.6, they speak of acid rain. Compounds leading to a decrease in the pH level of sediments are oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen chloride and volatile organic compounds(LOS).

Causes of acid rain

According to the nature of their origin, acid rains are of two types: natural (arise as a result of the activities of nature itself) and anthropogenic (caused by human activities).

natural acid rain

There are few natural causes of acid rain:

activity of microorganisms. A number of microorganisms in the course of their life activity cause destruction organic matter, which leads to the formation of gaseous sulfur compounds, which naturally enter the atmosphere. The amount of sulfur oxides formed in this way is estimated at about 30-40 million tons per year, which is approximately 1/3 of the total;

volcanic activity delivers another 2 million tons of sulfur compounds into the atmosphere. Together with volcanic gases, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, various sulfates and elemental sulfur enter the troposphere;

decomposition of nitrogen-containing natural compounds. Since all protein compounds are based on nitrogen, many processes lead to the formation of nitrogen oxides. For example, the breakdown of urine. Doesn't sound very nice, but that's life;

lightning discharges produce about 8 million tons of nitrogen compounds per year;

combustion of wood and other biomass.

Anthropogenic acid rain

Since we were talking about anthropogenic impact, then you do not need to have a great mind to guess that we will talk about the destructive influence of mankind on the state of the planet. A person is used to living in comfort, providing himself with everything necessary, but he is not used to “cleaning up” after himself. Either he hasn’t grown out of the sliders yet, or he hasn’t matured with his mind.

The main cause of acid rain is air pollution. If thirty years ago as global causes, causing the appearance in the atmosphere of compounds that "oxidize" rain, were called industrial enterprises And thermal power plants, then today this list was supplemented by road transport.

Thermal power plants and metallurgical enterprises "give" nature about 255 million tons of sulfur and nitrogen oxides.

Solid-propellant rockets have also made and are making a significant contribution: the launch of one Shuttle complex results in the release of more than 200 tons of hydrogen chloride and about 90 tons of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.

Anthropogenic sources of sulfur oxides are enterprises that produce sulfuric acid and refine oil.

Exhaust gases of road transport - 40% of nitrogen oxides entering the atmosphere.

The main source of VOCs in the atmosphere, of course, are chemical industries, oil storage facilities, gas stations and gas stations, as well as various solvents used both in industry and in everyday life.

The end result is the following: human activity delivers to the atmosphere more than 60% of sulfur compounds, about 40-50% of nitrogen compounds and 100% of volatile organic compounds.

From the point of view of chemistry, there is nothing complicated and incomprehensible in the fact that acid rains are formed. Oxides, getting into the atmosphere, react with water molecules, forming acids. Sulfur oxides, getting into the air, form sulfuric acid, nitrogen oxides form nitric acid. One should also take into account the fact that in the atmosphere above major cities always contains particles of iron and manganese, which act as catalysts for reactions. Since there is a water cycle in nature, water in the form of precipitation sooner or later falls on the ground. Along with water, acid also enters.

The effects of acid rain

The term "sour rain" first appeared in the second half of the 19th century and was coined by British chemists dealing with the pollution of Manchester. He noticed that significant changes in the composition of rainwater are caused by vapors and smoke released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of enterprises. As a result of the research, it was found that acid rain causes discoloration of fabrics, metal corrosion, destruction of building materials and leads to the death of vegetation.

It took about a hundred years before scientists around the world sounded the alarm, talking about the harmful effects of acid rain. This problem was first raised in 1972 at a UN conference on the environment.

Oxidation of water resources. The most sensitive are rivers and lakes. Fish are dying. While some fish species can tolerate slight water acidification, they also die due to the loss of food resources. In those lakes where the pH level is less than 5.1, not a single fish was caught. This is explained not only by the fact that adult specimens of fish die - at a pH of 5.0, the majority cannot hatch fry from eggs, as a result, there is a reduction in the number and species composition fish populations.

Harmful effect on vegetation. Acid rain affects vegetation directly and indirectly. The direct effect is in highlands, where tree crowns are literally immersed in acid clouds. unnecessarily acidic water destroys leaves and weakens plants. The indirect effect is due to a decrease in the level nutrients in the soil and, as a result, an increase in the proportion of toxic substances.

Destruction of human creations. Facades of buildings, monuments of culture and architecture, pipelines, cars - everything is exposed to acid rain. Many studies have been done, and they all point to one thing: over the past three decades, the process of exposure to acid rain has increased significantly. As a result, not only marble sculptures, stained glass windows of ancient buildings, but also leather and paper products of historical value are under threat.

Human health. By themselves, acid rain does not have a direct impact on human health - falling under such rain or swimming in a reservoir with acidified water, a person does not risk anything. Health hazards are compounds that are formed in the atmosphere due to the ingress of sulfur and nitrogen oxides into it. The resulting sulfates are carried by air currents over considerable distances, are inhaled by many people, and, as studies show, provoke the development of bronchitis and asthma. Another point is that a person eats the gifts of nature, not all suppliers can guarantee the normal composition of food products.

Solution

Since this problem is global in nature, it can only be solved together. The real solution will be to reduce the emissions of enterprises, both into the atmosphere and into water. There are only two solutions: the termination of the activities of enterprises or the installation of expensive filters. There is a third solution, but it is only in the future - the creation of environmentally friendly industries.

The words that every person should be aware of the consequences of their actions have long been set on edge. But one cannot argue with the fact that the behavior of society is made up of the behavior of individual individuals. The difficulty lies in the fact that a person in environmental matters is used to separating himself from humanity: enterprises pollute the air, toxic waste enters the water due to unscrupulous firms and companies. They are them, and I am me.

Everyday aspects and individual solutions to the problem

Strictly follow the rules for the disposal of solvents and other substances containing toxic and harmful chemical compounds.

Refuse cars. Maybe? - hardly.

Influence the installation of filters, implementation alternative ways not everyone can produce, but the observance of ecological culture and the upbringing of the younger generation to be environmentally literate and cultured is not only possible, this should become the norm of behavior for every person.

No one is surprised by the multitude of books and films devoted to the results of human impact on nature. In films, the dead surface of the planet, the struggle for survival and various mutant life forms appear colorfully and with frightening realism. Fairy tale, fiction? is a very real prospect. Think about it, not so long ago, space flights seemed to be an invention, engineer Garin's hyperboloid (modern laser installations) - a fantasy.

Thinking about the future of planet Earth, it is worth thinking not about what awaits humanity, but about what kind of world children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will live in. Only personal interest can move a person to take real steps.