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What
we commonly call acid rain is precipitation
that includes rain, but also sleet,
snow, fog, and cloud vapour that is
polluted by human developed acid in
the atmosphere. When the environment
can't neutralize the acid that's deposited,
damage occurs. Fish populations are
affected when the amount of acid precipitation
creates levels of heavy metals that
are toxic to fish. Acid precipitation
also affects forests by damaging the
surfaces of leaves and needles, reducing
a tree's ability to withstand cold
and affecting reproduction. If a forest
is exposed to acid precipitation for
a long time, the soil looses its valuable
nutrients, which can cause trees to
grow more slowly or to stop growing
altogether.
Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen
oxide (NOX) are the most common acids
that are found in acid precipitation.
These pollutants are produced in industrial
processes when we burn fossil fuels
for electricity, when we process natural
gas to heat our homes, and even when
we drive our cars. Once the pollutants
are released into the atmosphere,
they can be carried by winds over
long distances, even across entire
continents, before returning to earth
as one of the forms of acid precipitation.
The best solution to the problem of
acid precipitation is to reduce the
amount of pollutants we produce in
the first place. Although Canada and
other countries have made progress
in the reduction of sulphur dioxide
emissions, there's still a great deal
of work to be done to reduce nitrogen
oxide emissions levels.
Click on Select-A-Career or EnviroCareers
to find out more about the environmental
jobs related to acid precipitation:
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