Acid Rain

INTRODUCTION: Acid rain is a great problem in our world. It causes fish

and plants to die in our waters. As well it causes harm to our own race as

well, because we eat these fish, drink this water and eat these plants. It

is a problem that we must all face together and try to get rid of. However

acid rain on it's own is not the biggest problem. It cause many other

problems such as aluminum poisoning. Acid Rain is deadly.

WHAT IS ACID RAIN?

Acid rain is all the rain, snow, mist etc that falls from the sky onto

our planet that contains an unnatural acidic. It is not to be confused with

uncontaminated rain that falls, for that rain is naturally slightly acidic.

It is caused by today's industry. When products are manufactured many

chemicals are used to create it. However because of the difficulty and cost

of properly disposing of these products they are often emitted into the

atmosphere with little or no treatment.

The term was first considered to be important about 20 years ago when

scientists in Sweden and Norway first believed that acidic rain may be

causing great ecological damage to the planet. The problem was that by the

time that the scientist found the problem it was already very large.

Detecting an acid lake is often quite difficult. A lake does not become

acid over night. It happens over a period of many years, some times

decades. The changes are usually to gradual for them to be noticed early.

At the beginning of the 20th century most rivers/lakes like the river

Tovdal in Norway had not yet begun to die. However by 1926 local inspectors

were noticing that many of the lakes were beginning to show signs of death.

Fish were found dead along the banks of many rivers. As the winters ice

began to melt off more and more hundreds upon hundreds more dead fish

(trout in particular) were being found. It was at this time that scientist

began to search for the reason. As the scientists continued to work they

found many piles of dead fish, up to 5000 in one pile, further up the

river. Divers were sent in to examine the bottom of the rivers. What they

found were many more dead fish. Many live and dead specimens were taken

back to labs across Norway. When the live specimens were examined they were

found to have very little sodium in their blood. This is typical a typical

symptom of acid poisoning. The acid had entered the gills of the fish and

poisoned them so that they were unable to extract salt from the water to

maintain their bodies sodium levels.

Many scientist said that this acid poising was due to the fact that it

was just after the winter and that all the snow and ice was running down

into the streams and lakes. They believed that the snow had been exposed to

many natural phenomena that gave the snow it's high acid content. Other

scientists were not sure that this theory was correct because at the time

that the snow was added to the lakes and streams the Ph levels would change

from around 5.2 to 4.6. They believed that such a high jump could not be

attributed to natural causes. They believed that it was due to air

pollution. They were right. Since the beginning of the Industrial

revolution in England pollution had been affecting all the trees,soil and

rivers in Europe and North America.

However until recently the loses of fish was contained to the southern

parts of Europe. Because of the constant onslaught of acid rain lakes and

rivers began to lose their ability to counter act their affects. Much of

the alkaline elements; such as calcium and limestone; in the soil had been

washed away. It is these lakes that we must be worried about for they will

soon become extinct.

A fact that may please fishermen is that in lakes/rivers they tend to

catch older and larger fish. This may please them in the short run however

they will soon have to change lakes for the fish supply will die quickly in

these lakes. The problem is that acid causes difficulties the fish's

reproductive system. Often fish born in acid lakes do not survive for they

are born with birth defects such as twisted and deformed spinal columns.

This is a sign that they are unable to extract enough calcium from the

water to fully develop their bone. These young soon die. With no

competition the older,stronger can grow easily. However there food is

contaminated as well by the acid in the water. Soon they have not enough

food for themselves and turn to cannibalism. With only an older population

left there is no one left to regenerate