Acid Rain in Upstate New York Summary.

This article was about acid rain in the Adirondack region of upstate New York. It describes an area that was known to have acidic qualities to the water since the 1970’s and has been surveyed since the 1980’s to monitor its progression. The article discusses an experiment done in a specific area of the mountain region where the chemistry of the mountain streams we analyzed and proven acidic by the Base - Cation Surplus.

Acid Rain in China Summary.

This article was about the history of acid rain in China. It discusses the prominent presence of acid rain because of the country’s heavy dependency on coal and the high amounts of carbon dioxide the material produces. It also discusses the different chemicals that are in acid rain and where these chemicals are most prominent.

Terms

Base-Cation Surplus (BCS) – the amount of acid normalized in water.

Discussion

There are similar chemicals that are making up the acid rain and waste-water such as carbon dioxide, alkaline dust, SO2 and NO2. The differences are that China’s acid rain has a higher acidity. The main contributors of acid rain are pollutants such as coal and oil. The lowest pH measured was in upstate New York between October 27th and 30th 2003. The measure was 5.58 L. The major impacts of acid rain are ozone depletion and the destruction of natural resources. The main focus of acid rain research is finding ways to neutralize the acidic water and make it less hazardous for the environment. Scientists have introduced base chemicals into the atmosphere in attempts to reduce the volume of acid. The solution to the problem of acid rain will come from more efficient ways to harvest energy and less carbon dioxide emissions.

How does acid rain affect forest health?

The high acid content in rain water decreases plant growth.

How does the acid affect the water?

The acid in acid rain takes the nutritious qualities out of the water and does more destruction to the matter it comes into contact with than good.

In your opinion, which issue is more important to address; air pollution or acid rain?
Both are of equal importance; however this may vary depending on the location.