HEALTH SCIENTIST:
How does acid rain affect humans?
- Sulfur dioxide & nitrogen dioxide can cause problems such as asthma, dry coughs, headaches, eye, nose, and throat irritations. Acid rain can also damage or irritate our lungs. It can cause liver problems and can give you diarrhea
- Sulfur dioxide can react with water vapor and some other chemicals in the air to form very fine particles of sulfate. These airborne particles form a key component of urban smog and are now recognized as a significant health hazard.
- The human body has an oily coating which protects it from bacteria and keeps it moist. Sulfuric and nitric acids breakdown oils and so render this protective coating useless. The result is drying of the skin and bacterial infection. This can be unsightly and DEADLY.
What are some of the direct effects of acid rain on humans? Are there any health problems associated with acid rain?
- Among one of the serious side effects of acid pollution on humans is respiratory problems. The S02 and N02 emmisions give rise to respiratory problems such as asthma, dry coughs, headaches, eye, nose, and throat irritations.
- One may not think acid rain to be damaging to humans, but in fact it is. The most serious side effect damages the respiratory systems in humans. Other side effects include asthma, headaches, dry coughs and eye, nose and throat irritations. This is from the sodium dioxide and the nitrogen oxide in acid rain. Another effect on humans is through the acid precipitation. Toxic metals are held in the ground with compounds. Acid rain breaks down these compounds, frees up the toxic metals and eventually they wash into our water sources. Recently, scientists have been finding high mercury content in lakes so that eating the fish caught in the lakes can be deadly. The mercury is held in certain organs and tissues of fish and does not directly affect them but the mercury can be linked to cause brain damage in children along with nerve disorders. Aluminum, which can also be present in animals, leads to kidney problems if eaten by humans. The final effect on humans is to our drinking water. As the content of our water becomes more acidic, it can react with lead and copper water pipes, which eventually contaminate our water. Too much copper in drinking water also causes kidney damage as well as liver damage.
- What are some of the indirect effects of acid rain on humans? Does Acid rain affect our sources of food, water, and air?
- An indirect effect of acid is the precipitation on human is that the toxic metals dissolves in the water are absorbed in fruits, vegetables and in the tissues of animials. Although these toxics metals do not directly affect the animals, they have serious effects on humans and they are being consumed. For example… mercury that accumulate in the organs and tissues of the animals has been linked with brain damage in children as well as nerve disorders, brain damage and death. Similarly another metal has been associated with kidney problems, and percently was suspected to be related to Alzheimer’s disease.
- Human HealthAcid rain looks, feels, and tastes just like clean rain. The harm to people from acid rain is not direct. Walking in acid rain, or even swimming in an acid lake, is no more dangerous than walking or swimming in clean water. However, the pollutants that cause acid rain (sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)) also damage human health. These gases interact in the atmosphere to form fine sulfate and nitrate particles that can be transported long distances by winds and inhaled deep into people's lungs. Fine particles can also penetrate indoors. Many scientific studies have identified a relationship between elevated levels of fine particles and increased illness and premature death from heart and lung disorders, such as asthma and bronchitis.
- Acid rain adversely affects lakes and streams, forests and other vegetation, stone and man-made structures, wildlife, and human health.
- SOILS
When acid rain falls to the ground, the acidic water is absorbed into the soil or runs off into lakes, streams, or ponds. Depending on the alkalinity of the soil, the acid level will either be neutralized or increased. If the soil is alkaline, little or no damage will occur to the vegetation. However, if the soil is naturally acidic and the level of acidity is increased, important nutrients are depleted from the soil, and the plants will starve.
2. Soil is what we use to to plant our crops on. It is also where we live and develop. When the soil becomes toxic it is nearly impossible for us to plant our crops. Crops will either die or become toxic. If we consume these unhealthy crops, we will most likely get sick or even die.
3. As acidic depositon runs down from hillsides, it also carries toxins with it into an aquatic system. This and the acid rain can have a very negative affect on an aquatic system. When they accumalate, animals may absorb them and the concentrations get higher and higher as you go up the food chain.
4. We are at the top of almost every food chain. Acid rain usually enters the food chain thru plankton and phytoplankton. As you go up the fod chain, the levl of toxicity can increase by millions of times. When we consumed affected fish etc., we can get sick and/or die.
1. Acid rain is harmful but it does not usually kill trees directly. Instead, it weakens them by damaging their leaves or poisoning them with toxic substances. These substances are slowly released from the soil. Acidic water disolves the nutrients and helpful minerals in the soil. These valuable nutrients and minerals are washed away before the trees and other plants can take them in. At the same time, aluminium and other toxic substances are released into the soil.
2. Soil is what we use to to plant our crops on. It is also where we live and develop. When the soil becomes toxic it is nearly impossible for us to plant our crops. Crops will either die or become toxic. If we consume these unhealthy crops, we will most likely get sick or even die.
3. As acidic depositon runs down from hillsides, it also carries toxins with it into an aquatic system. This and the acid rain can have a very negative affect on an aquatic system. When they accumalate, animals may absorb them and the concentrations get higher and higher as you go up the food chain.
4. We are at the top of almost every food chain. Acid rain usually enters the food chain thru plankton and phytoplankton. As you go up the fod chain, the levl of toxicity can increase by millions of times. When we consumed affected fish etc., we can get sick and/or die.
What is acid rain?
The term "acid rain" is commonly used to mean the deposition of acidic components in rain, snow, fog, dew, or dry particles. The more accurate term is "acid precipitation." Distilled water, which contains no carbon dioxide, has a neutral pH of 7.
What chemicals make rain acidic, and how does it happen?
The extra acidity in rain comes from the reaction of air pollutants, primarily sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, with water in the air to form strong acids (like sulfuric and nitric acid). The main sources of these pollutants are vehicles and industrial and power-generating plants. In Washington, the main local sources are cars, trucks, and buses.
Where do these chemical come from?
the main local sources are cars, trucks, and buses.
How do we measure the acidity of rain?
Acidity in rain is measured by collecting samples of rain and measuring its pH. To find the distribution of rain acidity, weather conditions are monitored and rain samples are collected at sites all over the country. The areas of greatest acidity (lowest pH values) are located in the Northeastern United States. This pattern of high acidity is caused by the large number of cities, the dense population, and the concentration of power and industrial plants in the Northeast. In addition, the prevailing wind direction brings storms and pollution to the Northeast from the Midwest, and dust from the soil and rocks in the Northeastern United States is less likely to neutralize acidity in the rain.
What is ph?
A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions, increasing with increasing alkalinity and decreasing with increasing acidity. The pH scale commonly in use ranges from 0 to 14.
Describe the ph range and list various things that correspond to the various ph levels?
Liquids with a pH less than 7 are acid, and those with a pH greater than 7 are alkaline (or basic). "Clean" or unpolluted rain has a slightly acidic pH of 5.6, because carbon dioxide and water in the air react together to form carbonic acid, a weak acid. Around Washington, D.C., however, the average rain pH is between 4.2 and 4.4.
What is the ph of normal rain, and at what level does the ph become dangerous?
Rainfall acidity is measured in pH units. ‘Normal’ or ‘unpolluted’ rainfall has a pH of 5.6. This is slightly acidic due to the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which forms weak carbonic acid in water. It is not uncommon for acidified rainwater to have a pH of 4, about 30 times as acidic as normal rainwater.
1.Acid rain can also accelerate the corrosion of materials such as limestone, sandstone, marble, brick, concrete and metal, causing serious concerns for older buildings and outdoor sculptures and monuments. Acid rain damages stonework because it dissolves calcium carbonate, leaving behind crystals in the rock when it evaporates. As the crystals grow they break apart the stone.
2.Yes, because you have to take in consideration on what materials to use when building at certain areas where acid rain in common.
3.The acid goes through the metal and melts
4.The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 call for major reductions in the pollutants that cause acid rain. The Amendments also establish a new approach to environmental management. Overall, the Acid Rain Program will result in a 10-million ton reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions from 1980 levels by the year 2010.
