Acid Rain Essay Research Paper ACID DEPOSITION — страница 3

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insidious.” It takes a large amount of water to change the pH level in a lake or stream, particularly if the water is constantly moving, yet of 200 lakes in the Killarney region, 40 are dead and dying. That means that those lakes have taken a large amount of precipitation. It also means that way too much acid deposition is being produced. First of all, to understand all the effects, one must learn the concept of a dead lake. When a lake is dead, like every one in five in Norway, it contains no life within. Have you ever noticed why Lake Simcoe, for example, is so clear? It?s because there are no fish, no plants, not even the slightest bacteria in the lake. Why? The pH levels are to high. Lakes become acidic once the soil surrounding the lake cannot buffer the acid rain enough

to neutralize it. When lakes reach a certain pH level, fish dye off, effecting the natural balance within the lake, and thus killing everything within. As you can see in the diagram, certain fish die off at different points, yet they are effected in some way by such a small change in the pH levels. A change like this prevents fish eggs from hatching, and caused serious mutations among the fish. As you can see, murder is not the only crime that acid deposition commits. Effects on man made materials As everyone knows, acids corrode metal. This fact works when describing the effects of acid deposition on metals. Building materials, statues, pillars, etc., wear out naturally, over the centuries, due to rain, and wind. Acid deposition speeds up the process. An example of the damage

that this issue has caused would be the ancient Mayan ruins in Central America, which have turned black due to the amount of acid deposition it receives. One must remember how precious and irreplaceable these things are. The statue of liberty had to be redone in 1984 due to acid deposition?s dirty deeds. Even cars aren?t immune to the damage. Paint has been known to chip away, or change colour due to the precipitation it receives. This is not a minor problem. Solutions There are no permanent solutions to acid deposition, but there are alternatives. Some countries have forced their domestic industries to install filters on their smokestacks to decrease the amount of toxic pollution released into the atmosphere. Some countries have done so, yet the majority haven?t, due to fear of

the companies leaving for somewhere cheaper, where they can pollute if they please. Scientists have found a way to neutralize the effects of acid deposition through a process known as liming. Lime (crushed limestone) is an alkaline which reacts with the acids in the lakes, streams, or soil, neutralizing them. This process is frequently used, yet is expensive. About 4 tones per hectare are needed to raise the pH level from 5.5 to 6.5. Species and animals quickly return to the lakes thereafter. Liming is repeated in the lakes ever 2 to 5 years to prevent the return of the acids. Conservation of energy is a key to the prevention of acid deposition. Over 50% of the energy produced today come from fossil fuels; the main contributor to acid deposition. The Canadian government estimates

that high standards of living can still be enjoyed if measures were taken to consume 50% less energy. The less energy used means less energy produced. Companies have recently switched from burning coal (which produces high levels of sulfur dioxide) to burning low-sulfur coal. Scrubbers are also used on smokestacks to prevent the release of fly ash (part of dry deposition) and smoke from tormenting the atmosphere. Almost 90% of the sulfur oxides are removed from the emissions, due to the spray of limestone in the scrubbers. By using unleaded fuel, one can prevent the emissions of hazardous chemicals into the atmosphere, and save a few dollars. Catalytic converters also reduce the pollution caused by cars. Taking precautions costs a lot of money, and normally takes a large chunk

out of the profit margin of large companies. The Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates the overall cost for air pollution control exceeds $32 billion a year. Scrubbers alone cost millions of dollars for installation, and maintenance. Liming is the cheapest method, at approximately $10 to $15 a square acre, but is only temporary, and must be done often. Canada has realized that it must take control of it?s environmental state. It was a member of the 30% Club, which was a meeting of 35 different countries from around the world who promised to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 30% by the year 1982. The Clean Air Act which proposed a 50% reduction in the same emissions by 1995. It forced companies to choose between scrubbers or clean coal technologies to