Acid Rain Effects

When it rains, it is said that God is showering all his love on mother nature, but when it is acid rain, perhaps God is cursing the ruthless manner in which man is exploiting the nature. Acid rain can be defined as precipitation with elevated amounts of harmful acids. Though it can occur due to volcanoes and lightning strikes, the major cause of acid rains is the release of high levels of harmful gases by factories and automobiles. The harmful gases which travel hundreds of kilometers, causes mammoth ecological damage, even before converting into acids. The harmful effects of acid rain are seen on the flora and fauna, forests, soils and human health. Apart from threatening human health, acid rain has also been one of the major reasons for causing extinction of certain life forms. Let’s take a detailed look at some of the acid rain effects on the ecosystem.

Harmful Effects of Acid Rain

Acid rain has affected flora and fauna of entire ecosystem right from soil chemistry to aquatic life. The degradation has not even spared historical monuments and structures. Given below are some of the hazardous acid rain effects on our environment.

Effects on Vegetation

Acid rain is known to corrode the protective covering of leaves of the plants, which affects the photosynthesis of the plants. Due to lack of nutrition, plants become vulnerable to diseases. This is one major reason why forests in Germany are said to be perishing. Another cause of lack of nutrition for trees may be due to acid rain getting absorbed by the soil. The harmful acids can have hazardous effects on the roots of the trees.

Effects on Soil

The soil has abundant amount of various metals and minerals. When these metals come in contact with acid rain there can be some harmful chemical reactions. These reactions can lead to soil erosion. Acid rains are known to reduce the fertility of the soil, leaving the land barren. Harmful acids can also reduce the amount of soil micro organisms which perform important job of breaking down the dead and decayed plants and other beings.

Effects on Aquatic Flora and Fauna

Acid rain has a long term can directly effect on the aquatic life, as the high amount of sulfuric acid and nitric acid levels in acid rains are directly consumed by aquatic animals and plants. The harmful acids affects the ability of fish to take in nutrients, salt, and oxygen. Aquatic animals intake oxygen from the water through their gills, but harmful acids leads to mucus formation in the gills, which hinders their ability to respire. Acid rains affect the pH level of the water which reduce the absorption capacity of essential nutrients of the aquatic life. This also hampers the reproduction process in fish leading to weak or brittle eggs.

Effects on Human Health

Well, the effect of acid rains on all the above things invariably impacts human beings. As acid rain affects the soil making it poisonous, the food which is grown on this soil is also left contaminated. This food can seriously hamper our entire body system and may cause death. Acid rains can pollute the drinking water which leads to various health hazards. The release of various gases in the atmosphere leads to lung problems. Some scientists have related the cause of premature death to environmental pollution.

Effects on Historical Monuments

Acid rain destroys stained glass windows, corrodes metal and also ruins the paint color. Acid rain reacts with calcium to form calcium bicarbonate, which can be easily washed away. One drastic effect of acid rain can be seen on one of the seven wonders of the world, Taj Mahal in India. The marble walls and pillars of this great man-made monument is found to be getting eroded by acid rains. Even St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and the Statue of Liberty in New York are few such examples.

Looking at some of the above acid rain effects, it is evident that, if we do not avail some acid rain solutions it can lead to serious environmental crisis. Acid rains might be God’s way of warning the mankind that we should stop the degradation of nature or else it will be too late. The governments of various countries should wake up and take some strong measures to prevent it. Every individual should try to reduce the pollution in a bid to make our earth a safer and cleaner place.

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