Acid rain is any form of precipitation that has unusually high acidity (a pH level below 5.6) and caused by the transformation of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide into secondary pollutants. pH is is a scale used that measures the acidity of liquids and ranged from 0 to 14. The lower the number, the higher acidity, or the higher concentration of hydrogen ions. 0-5 is considered acidic and as you move up to 7, this indicates the substance is neutral. The higher numbers on the scale indicate high alkalinity (basic), with the highest possible pH of 14. The scale is logarithmic, meaning each value is 10 times (tenfold) the previous value. For example, each value below 7 is ten times more acidic than the previous value, and any value above 7
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This is largely due to the geographical makeup of these areas. Acid is neutralized with compounds that high in alkalinity such as limestone, however, in Eastern Canada the water and soil systems to not have any natural substances that are basic, which means that it cannot neutralize the strong acid. Canada is mostly made up of hard rock which cannot effectively neutralize the acidity of the rain. As a result of this, Eastern Canada suffers much more with the effects of acid rain.
CaCO3 (s) + 2HNO3 (aq) → H2O (l) + Ca(NO3)2 (s) + CO2 (g)
Limestone is a sedimentary rock that has high alkalinity, meaning it has the ability to neutralize an acid such as nitric acid. Ontario and Quebec hold over 70% of Canada’s limestone, however, is it is available and quarried in other provinces across the country, such as Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and …show more content…
In many cases, the amount of aluminium found in soil begins to increase due to the presence of these acidic compounds (rain causes the soil to leach aluminium). The aluminium disrupts the intake of nutrients by trees. As a result, the trees in the forest begin to grow slower and become much weaker and unable to handle other obstacles such as droughts and diseases. As trees and plants are the primary producers of the forest ecosystem, virtually every organism is dependant on those trees and will be greatly affected. Most will not be able to intake the proper nutrients needed and start to die off, which disrupts of the food chain and biodiversity of the forest. Lakes also suffer from the exposure to acid rain. When the acid rain falls into lakes, the neutral pH level of 7 slowly begins to decrease. Organisms that live in these lakes are not meant to live in acidic environments and the lakes cannot support the organisms as needed. The aquatic organisms, such as fish, intake these toxic chemicals and begin to die. As the number of fish start to lower, other organisms that rely on fish as their source of food will die off as well. This whole effect will have a chain reaction on the ecosystem that lowers the
This is largely due to the geographical makeup of these areas. Acid is neutralized with compounds that high in alkalinity such as limestone, however, in Eastern Canada the water and soil systems to not have any natural substances that are basic, which means that it cannot neutralize the strong acid. Canada is mostly made up of hard rock which cannot effectively neutralize the acidity of the rain. As a result of this, Eastern Canada suffers much more with the effects of acid rain.
CaCO3 (s) + 2HNO3 (aq) → H2O (l) + Ca(NO3)2 (s) + CO2 (g)
Limestone is a sedimentary rock that has high alkalinity, meaning it has the ability to neutralize an acid such as nitric acid. Ontario and Quebec hold over 70% of Canada’s limestone, however, is it is available and quarried in other provinces across the country, such as Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and …show more content…
In many cases, the amount of aluminium found in soil begins to increase due to the presence of these acidic compounds (rain causes the soil to leach aluminium). The aluminium disrupts the intake of nutrients by trees. As a result, the trees in the forest begin to grow slower and become much weaker and unable to handle other obstacles such as droughts and diseases. As trees and plants are the primary producers of the forest ecosystem, virtually every organism is dependant on those trees and will be greatly affected. Most will not be able to intake the proper nutrients needed and start to die off, which disrupts of the food chain and biodiversity of the forest. Lakes also suffer from the exposure to acid rain. When the acid rain falls into lakes, the neutral pH level of 7 slowly begins to decrease. Organisms that live in these lakes are not meant to live in acidic environments and the lakes cannot support the organisms as needed. The aquatic organisms, such as fish, intake these toxic chemicals and begin to die. As the number of fish start to lower, other organisms that rely on fish as their source of food will die off as well. This whole effect will have a chain reaction on the ecosystem that lowers the