Acid rain
This is
rainfall that can be as acid as vinegar. It is formed when gases of
nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide are given off into the atmosphere
as by-products of fuel combustion by automobiles, homes, factories,
and power plants. As the fumes are carried into the air by wind
currents, they combine with water vapor molecules and are
transformed into microscopic drops of nitric acid and sulfuric acid.
When it rains or snows, the precipitation returns the acids to
earth, sometimes thousands of miles from their origin. Lakes and
streams have become so acidified that the populations of trout,
salmon, and other fish are being destroyed. There is also concern
about the possible effects of acid rain on soil minerals and
nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
|
