Development and the Environment

Acid Rain
Seen Environmental Learning Information Sheet no 8
What is acid rain?
Acid rain is the term used to describe air pollutants that cause water and soil to become more acidic. In turn this can harm plants and animals that depend upon these elements for survival. Acid precipitation is a more accurate name since it can occur in the form of acid snow, acid dew, acid fog, acid frost, acid hail and acid dust. Rain water is never totally pure. It always contains some impurities from dust particles or from absorbing gases from the air. The acidity or alkalinity of a liquid is usually measured by its pH level. Normal rainwater has a pH of around 5.6 because it naturally absorbs carbon dioxide in the air to form a mild carbonic acid. Water that is polluted and becomes too acidic will usually have a pH of below 5. SO2+H2O+sunlightH2SO4 N02+H20+sunlightH2NO2 Acid precipitation has been occurring in relatively small amounts for billions of years. However as a result of the industrial revolution in the last 200 years resulting in the burning of coal and other fossil fuels, and the increase in motor car emissions, acid precipitation has become a problem. Increased industrial activities meant more coal burning in steam engines for power. The fossil fuels which were laid down hundreds of millions of years ago contain chemical elements including carbon, hydrocarbon, sulphur and nitrogen which were once stored in the bodies of living things. When these fossil fuels are burnt these chemical elements are released into the atmosphere. Sulphur from the coal begins to mix with the oxygen in the air to create sulphur dioxide. The sulphur dioxide mixes with the moisture in the air and comes down as sulphuric acid rain. The problem has been increasing over the last 200 years but it has been since the 1950s that it has been recognised as a major environmental threat. These days only half of the sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere, comes from natural sources such as volcanoes and rotting organic matter, the rest all comes from human activity.(see diagram below) Burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal in power plants, various industrial processes and the exhaust fumes from millions of vehicles contribute to the large amount of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One big problem is the fact that the gases are often carried hundreds of kilometres by the wind and then fall as acid rain on woodland areas, and surface water in un-expecting communities. At present the worst affected places in the world are in the USA, Canada and Europe, especially central and northern Europe.

Acid rain on the PH scale

What causes acid rain?

Acid precipitation has both natural and human causes. Every time there is a flash of lightening, oxygen and nitrogen gases fuse with the moisture in the air and cause some nitric acid to be deposited in raindrops. In the soil the nitric acid is absorbed and acts as a nitrogen fertilizer for plants. Volcanoes and forest fires may emit sulphur dioxide(SO2) which mixes with water vapour in the air and sunlight to create small amounts of sulphuric acid. Even carbon dioxide can mix with the water vapour in the air to make small amounts of weak carbonic acid.

Seen Environmental Learning

Information Sheet No 8

Theme: Development and the Environment Topic No 8: Acid Rain

Dry and wet deposition Source: Outreach

In southern Africa large-scale air pollution causing acid rain is largely limited to the Mpumalanga highveld and Soweto, which experience extremely high levels of sulphur dioxide pollution. About 64 % of South Africas electricity is generated at coal power plants in Mpumalanga. Gauteng generally ranks as one of the world's worst polluted areas, putting it in the same league as Bangkok, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Beijing and Sao Paulo.

industrial pollution. The pollutants are blown onto nearby farmland and forests and cause damage to the trees, stunt the growth of plants and reduce crop yields. The longer the sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides remain in the air the more likely they are to react with moisture in the air and create sulphuric and nitric acids. These acid pollutants can stay in the air for several days and can be carried hundreds of kilometres by the wind. This is called wet deposition. Wet deposition can directly attack the leaves of the trees that it lands on as well as being able to soak into the soil and in turn damage plants. It can also end up in rivers and water-courses killing aquatic plants and animals and polluting drinking water. 80% of Norways lakes are now considered to be either dead or in a critical state as a result of acid pollution and 300 lakes in Ontario, Canada are estimated to have a pH of less than 5. When acid rain increases the acidity of the soil or waterthese can in turn dissolve toxic metals. If these are absorbed by plants they can be passed on to humans or animals that eat the plants or their fruit. Cubatao in Brazil, is considered to be one of the most polluted industrial centres in the world. 80% of its flora is gone, fish die in its polluted waters, more

What are the effects of acid rain?

Some of the pollutants do not rise very far into the air and instead they return to the earth within a few hours. These pollutants may fall directly onto the surface of plants, buildings, water or soil and this is called dry deposition. These deposits can become acidic if dew or rain comes into contact with them and turns them into acidic droplets. If the pollutants fall into water then they will dissolve and form an acidic liquid. The pollutants of dry deposition corrode building materials. Monuments such as the Parthenon in Greece and the Taj Mahal in India are all being damaged by acids in the air and buildings in every major city in India are under attack from

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Information Sheet No 8

Theme: Development and the Environment Topic No 8: Acid Rain

babies are born deformed here than anywhere else in Latin America. There are also risks to humans associated with acid precipitation. It is believed to be one of the factors exacerbating asthma and other respiratory problems and in Tokyo, Japan, the air is now suspected of being a health risk. Acid rain is not a major problem in southern Africa. However in eastern Mpumulanga in South Africa where most of the coal burning power stations and large metal working industries are found, acid rain regularly falls. It is estimated that the region produces nearly two million tones of sulphuric acid and one million tones of nitric acid pollution annually. Unfortunately the effects of this pollution have not yet been properly investigated. (tree death) had spread across 15 European countries and has claimed more than 70,00 square kilometres of forest. The symptoms of Waldsterben are leaf discolouration, needle loss, thinning of crowns and reduced canopy cover and eventually death. Although there are many theories on what has caused the decline in the number of trees, it seems certain that one of the major culprits is acid precipitation. The effects of acid precipitation maybe combined with other factors such as extreme weather conditions and forest management practices but it is indisputable that acid precipitation plays a large role in these deaths of trees. The United Kingdom was reported in 1987 to have the highest percentage of damaged trees in the whole of Europe. 67% of Britains conifers showed severe damage whilst 28.9% were described as having moderate to severe damage. Acid rain on the leaves decreases the rate at which photosynthesis occurs. The acidity of the rain also disrupts the natural uptake of nutrients in the soil by the trees. Some soil nutrients are even washed away by the acid rain. After the trees have been weakened by the nutrient disruption they are more likely to be affected by pests and diseases. The tree eventually dies as a result of nutrient disruption or from disease or a combination of factors. The trees of Southern Africa seem to be less effected by acid rain than the slow-growing trees which are found in the northern hemisphere. In Eastern Canada sugar maples are dying out over vast areas due to the increased acidity of the soils. Although acid rain is though to be responsible for the death of many trees in Europe and North America the problem is not confined to these places. In South Africa acid rain is suspected of damaging buildings and vegetation. The Kruger National Park as well as the Eastern Transvaal highveld are thought to be the areas greatest at risk. There is evidence of damage to vegetation in Zambia where sulphur compounds are made from copper and zinc smelting. It is not just trees which are at risk but other kinds of vegetation as well and in the Chongquing district of Sichuan Province in

Dispersing the problem Source: Outreach 59

Trees and acid rain

Diseased trees as a result of pollution were discovered in Germany in the 1960s and by 1984 half of the countrys woodland was showing tree damage. By the end of the 1980s Waldsterben

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Information Sheet No 8

Theme: Development and the Environment Topic No 8: Acid Rain

China, large areas of paddy fields where rice is grown, have turned yellow after acidic rain.

What are the solutions?

There are no simple solutions to the problem of acid rain. In fact acid rain is just one more sign of the increasing environmental degradation that is going on around the world. Since the main sources of sulphur dioxide are coal-fired power stations and the main source of oxides of nitrogen are vehicle emissions and the burning of fuel, more research must be done into alternative energy sources which do not produce the same harmful acidic emissions. Removing the acidic particles from the burning of coal is possible but it is very expensive and is not a long-term solution to the problem. Other considerations In much of southern Africa there are many people who do not have constant access to electricity or who cannot afford electricity or their homes. What should the governments priority be? Should they strive to provide electricity for all households or should they focus on reducing the emissions of power stations which cause acid rain? Is there another option? What is the potential for alternative energy sources? Southern Africa relies on fossil fuels for industry and in the increasing urbanisation there has been more emphasis placed upon industrialization. Many countries energy needs rely on the burning of fossil fuel. Is it fair to expect developing countries to have to invest money into research for alternative energy sources when the richer countries are not following their own advice? BUT Namibia has a huge potential for solar and wind power. Maybe instead of following what other industrialised nations have done and relying on non-sustainable, environmentally unfriendly sources of energy, Namibia and other countries like it should take the lead. After the initial expense, the energy from the sun can be harnessed without expense. It is not only a clean renewable energy sources but a reliable and economically viable one.

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Information Sheet No 8

Theme: Development and the Environment Topic No 8: Acid Rain Important ideas to stress in your teaching and learning

Acid rain is formed when gases in the air (sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide) combine with water vapour in the presence of sunlight. The gases causing acid rain are man-made resulting from the burning of fossil fuels in industries and power plants. These gases may travel hundreds of kilometers in the wind before falling as acid rain. As a result solving the problem requires international co-operation. Acid rain damages buildings, kills plants (especially trees) and animals and pollutes lakes, soils and groundwater supplies. Acid rain is a big problem in northern Europe and the north east of the USA. With growing industrialization based on burning coal and oil, it is a significant problem in parts of China and India. In southern Africa acid rain is most severe in eastern Mpumulanga, RSA. Acid rain can be controlled by reducing power station and vehicle emissions. This however is very expensive and so is only slowly being introduced. In the long term a change to alternative technologies that generate energy without polluting is required.

Glossary
Aquatic Degradation Fossil fuels Organic Photosynthesis connected with, consisting of, or dependent upon water. the decline in the quality and performance of the environment. any carbon-containing fuel, for example coal, peat, petroleum, and natural gas, derived form the decomposed remains of prehistoric plants and animals. relating to, derived from, or characteristic of living things. a process by which green plants and other organisms produce simple carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, using energy that chlorophyll absorbs from sunlight. things that pollute or cause harm to an area of the natural environment, for example, chemicals or waste products that contaminate the air, soil, or water. rain, snow, or hail, all of which are formed by condensation of moisture in the atmosphere and fall to the ground. the accustoming of somebody to living in a town or city rather than in the rural areas, and the causing of people to migrate to a town or city from the rural areas.

Pollutants Precipitation Urbanisation

Sources/ Further Reading

OUTREACH 59 The changing atmosphere Part 4 Acid rain pollution Acid Earth: The global threat of acid pollution, John McCormack Air Pollution, acid rain and the future of forests, Sandra Postel Acid Rain and air pollution, Jacqueline Sawyer

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Information Sheet No 8