What is Acid Rain?
Acid rain is rain that has pollutants in it. It usually has air pollutants inside of it. Air pollution is when humans put toxic chemicals or smoke into the air. This can make our air dirty. This can lead to breathing problems for humans and other animals. Plants can also be harmed because the air that they bring in is not clean. This is a very big problem in big cities and a leading cause of Climate Change. Climate Change is when gases, like Carbon dioxide, go up into Earth’s atmosphere and trap in sunlight. The atmosphere has to be balanced with gases, but with air pollution, the gases in the atmosphere are imbalanced. This is very bad for the health of the Earth. Humans can help by not burning things to create gases like Carbon dioxide. Acid rain can do damage to buildings, forests, and waterways.
How Does Acid Rain Form?
Acid rain forms when pollutants from automobiles and factories are put into Earth’s atmosphere. These gases can be Carbon dioxide, Sulfur dioxide, Methane, and more. These giant plumes of gases can travel all around the world making acid rain a worldwide problem. When the giant plume of gases meets a rain cloud, the rain drops in the cloud become filled with the pollutants. Things dissolve in water very easily, so the pollutants can really spread in the rain drops. When the rain comes to the ground, it becomes acid rain. Acid rain can damage the roots and leaves of plants, making it hard for them to survive. Building materials like concrete, copper, and granite can be damaged due to acid rain. The gases make holes on these materials. The rain can also end up in oceans, streams, rivers, or lakes. This can be bad for fish and for the water we drink. Luckily, scientists are working on ways to reduce and eventually stop acid rain!