Acid Rain

Domain	Definitions
Energy	A term used to describe precipitation that has become acidic (low pH) due to the emission of sulfur oxides from fossil fuel burning power plants. (references)
Health	Acidic water usually pH 2.5 to 4.5, which poisons the ecosystem and adversely affects plants, fishes, and mammals. It is caused by industrial pollutants, mainly sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, emitted into the atmosphere and returning to earth in the form of acidic rain water. (references)
Science	Acids form when certain atmospheric gases (primarily carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides) come in contact with water in the atmosphere or on the ground and are chemically converted to acidic substances. Oxidants play a major role in several of these acid-forming processes. Carbon dioxide dissolved in rain is converted to a weak acid (carbonic acid). Other gases, primarily oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, are converted to strong acids (sulfuric and nitric acids). Although rain is naturally slightly acidic because of carbon dioxide, natural emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and certain organic acids, human activities can make it much more acidic. Occasional pH readings of well below 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) have been reported in industrialized areas. The principal natural phenomena that contribute acid-producing gases to the atmosphere are emissions from volcanoes and from biological processes that occur on the land, in wetlands, and in the oceans. The effects of acidic deposits have been detected in glacial ice thousands of years old in remote parts of the globe. Principal human sources are industrial and power-generating plants and transportation vehicles. The gases may be carried hundreds of miles in the atmosphere before they are converted to acids and deposited. Since the industrial revolution, emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere have increased. Industrial and energy-generating facilities that burn fossil fuels, primarily coal, are the principal sources of increased sulfur oxides. These sources, plus the transportation sector, are the major originators of increased nitrogen oxides. The problem of acid rain not only has increased with population and industrial growth, it has become more widespread. The use of tall smokestacks to reduce local pollution has contributed to the spread of acid rain by releasing gases into regional atmospheric circulation. The same remote glaciers that provide evidence of natural variability in acidic deposition show, in their more recently formed layers, the increased deposition caused by human activity during the past half century. (references)
Weather	Rainwater that has an acidity content greater than the postulated natural pH of about 5.6. It is formed when sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides, as gases or fine particles in the atmosphere, combine with water vapor and precipitate as sulfuric acid or nitric acid in rain, snow, or fog. The dry forms are acidic gases or particulates. See acid deposition, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Specialty Definition: Acid rain

Acid rain (also called acid precipitation or acid deposition) is precipitation containing harmful amounts of nitric acid and sulfuric acids formed primarily by nitrogen and sulfur oxides released into the atmosphere. It can be wet precipitation (rain, snow, or fog) or dry precipitation (absorbed gaseous and particulate matter, aerosol particles or dust). Rain water is naturally slightly acidic but increased levels causes damage to crops, buildings and wildlife and is often indirectly damaging to humans.

The principal natural phenomena that contribute acid-producing gases to the atmosphere are emissions from volcanoes and from biological processes that occur on the land, in wetlands, and in the oceans. The effects of acidic deposits have been detected in glacial ice thousands of years old in remote parts of the globe.

Principal human sources are industrial and power-generating plants and transportation vehicles. The gases may be carried hundreds of miles in the atmosphere before they are converted to acids and deposited.

Industrial acid rain is a substantial problem in China, Eastern Europe, Russia and areas down-wind from them. These areas all burn sulfur-containing coal to generate heat and electricity.

Acid rain is defined as rain with a pH of below 5.6. Normal rain has a pH of about 6, which is slightly acidic. This natural acidity is caused by dissolved carbon dioxide dissociating to form weak carbonic acid. 'Acid rain' is caused by sulphur from impurities in fossil fuels and nitrogen from the air combining with oxygen to form sulphur and nitrogen dioxides. These diffuse into the atmosphere and react with water to form sulphuric and nitric acids which are soluble and fall with the rain. Some hydrochloric acid is also formed.

Evidence for an increase in the levels of acid rain comes from analysing layers of glacial ice. These show a sudden increase in pH from the start of the industrial revolution of 6 to 4.5 or 4. Other information has been gathered from studying organisms known as diatoms which inhabit ponds. Over the years these die and are deposited in layers of sediment on the lakes bottom. Diatoms thrive in certain pHs, so the numbers of diatoms found in layers of increasing depth give an indication of the change in pH over the years.

Since the industrial revolution, emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere have increased. Industrial and energy-generating facilities that burn fossil fuels, primarily coal, are the principal sources of increased sulfur oxides. Occasional pH readings of well below 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) have been reported in industrialized areas. These sources, plus the transportation sector, are the major originators of increased nitrogen oxides.

The problem of acid rain not only has increased with population and industrial growth, it has become more widespread. The use of tall smokestacks to reduce local pollution has contributed to the spread of acid rain by releasing gases into regional atmospheric circulation. Often deposition occurs a considerable distance from its formation, with mountainous regions tending to receive the most (simply because of their higher rainfall). An example of this effect is the frequent high pH of rain which falls in Scandanavia compared to the oxide levels it gives off.

Effects

There is a strong relationship between higher pHs and the lowering of populations of fish in lakes. Below 4.5 virtually no fish survive, whereas levels of 6 or higher promote healthy populations. Acid in water inhibits the production of enzymes which enable trout larvae to escape their eggs. It also mobilises toxic metals such as aluminium in lakes. Aluminium causes some fish to produce an excess of mucus around their gills, preventing proper ventilation. Phytoplankton growth is inhibited by high acid levels, and animals which feed on it suffer.

Many lakes are subject to natural acid runoff from acid soils, and this can be triggered by particular rainfall patterns that concentrate the acid. An acid lake with newly-dead fish is not evidence of severe air-pollution.

Trees are harmed by acid rain in a variety of ways. The waxy surface of leaves is broken down and nutrients are lost, making trees more susceptible to frost, fungus and insects. Root growth slows and as a result less nutrients are taken up. Toxic ions are mobilised in the soil, and valuable minerals are leached away or (in the case of phosphate) become bound to clay.

The toxic ions released due to acid rain forms the greatest threat to humans. Mobilised copper has been implicated in outbreaks of diarrhoea in young children and it is thought there are links between water supplies contaminated with aluminium and Alzheimer's disease.

Solutions

In the U.S., coal-burning power-plants are required to use stack-scrubbers to remove sulfur-containing gasses from their stack gasses. A scrubber is basically a blower that forces hot smoky exhaust gasses through heated, powdered limestone. The calcium carbonate of the limestone produces pH-neutral sulfates that are physically removed from the scrubber. That is, the scrubber turns sulphur pollution into indutrial sulphates.

In some areas the sulphates are sold to chemical companies. In others, they are placed in a land-fill.

Many people oppose regulation of power-generation, believing that power-generation and pollution are required to go together. This is false. Nuclear reactors generate less than one-millionth the toxic waste (measured by net biological effect) per watt, when wastes of both power-generation facilities are properly handled.

An even more benign regulatory scheme involves emission trading. In this scheme, every current polluting facility is given an emissions license that becomes part of capital equipment. Operators can then install pollution control equipment, and sell parts of their emissions licenses. The main effect of this is to give operators real economic incentives to install pollution controls. Since public interest groups can retire the licenses by purchasing them, the net result is a continuously decreasing and more diffused set of pollution sources. At the same time, no particular operator is ever forced to spend money without a return of value from commercial sale of assets.

Modern Usage: Acid Rain

Commercial Usage: Acid Rain

Image Slideshow: Acid Rain

Photo Album: Acid Rain

Non-Fiction Usage: Acid Rain

Speeches: Acid Rain

Frequency of Internet Keywords: Acid Rain

Modern Translations: Acid Rain

Language		Translations for "acid rain"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Danish		sur regn (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets), sur nedbør (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets). (various references)

Dutch		zwavelhoudende regen (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets), zure regen (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets), zure neerslag (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets). (various references)

Finnish		hapan sade (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets). (various references)

French		pluie acide (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets). (various references)

German		saurer Regen (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets), saurer Niederschlag (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets). (various references)

Greek		όξινη βροχή (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets). (various references)

Italian		pioggia acida (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		酸性雨 . (various references)

Japanese Katakana		さ�"せいう. (various references)

Pig Latin		aciday ainray

Portuguese		chuva ácida (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets). (various references)

Russian		кислотный дождь (acid-rain). (various references)

Spanish		lluvia ácida (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets). (various references)

Swedish		surt regn (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets), sur nederbörd (acid deposition, acidic precipitation, causing agricultural and ecological damage, formed in the atmosphere mainly by the combination of sulphur trioxide and water.It results in increased acidity of the soil, precipitation containing elevated amounts of sulphuric acid(H2 SO4)droplets). (various references)

Turkish		asit yağmuru. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Anagrams: Acid Rain

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "a-a-c-d-i-i-n-r"
	-2 letters: acarid, acinar, arnica, canard, cardia, carina, crania, radian, rancid.
	-3 letters: acari, acini, acrid, caird, cairn, canid, daric, dinar, drain, indri, nadir, naiad, naira, naric, nicad, radii, ranid, ricin.
	-4 letters: acid, airn, aria, arid, cadi, caid, cain, card, carn, darn, inia, irid, nada, narc, nard, nidi, raia, raid, rain, rand, rani, rind.
	-5 letters: aid, ain, air, ana, and, ani, arc, cad, can, car, din, rad, ran, ria, rid, rin.
	Words containing the letters "a-a-c-d-i-i-n-r"
	+1 letter: circadian, cnidarian.
	+2 letters: cnidarians, irradiance, mandarinic, radiancies, radicating.
	+3 letters: antiradical, barricading, cantharidin, cardinality, eradicating, eradication, incarnadine, irradiances.
	+4 letters: barricadoing, cantharidins, cardinalship, clairaudient, deracinating, deracination, divaricating, divarication, eradications, incarnadined, incarnadines, ineradicable, ineradicably, intracardiac, intracardial, pediatrician, radicalising, radicalizing, ratiocinated.
	+5 letters: accreditation, aminoaciduria, anaphrodisiac, archidiaconal, archimandrite, cardinalities, cardinalships, clairaudience, deracinations, desacralizing, disaffirmance, divarications, endoparasitic, incardination, incarnadining, paediatrician, pediatricians, sectarianized, transactinide, valedictorian.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

Domain	Usage
Screenplays	Yeah, like acid rain. (Crimes and Misdemeanors; writing credit: Woody Allen)
Movie/TV Titles	Acid Rain (1998)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Domain	Title
Books	Acid Rain and Transported Air Pollutants: Implications for Public Policy (reference) Trashing the Planet: How Science Can Help Us Deal With Acid Rain, Depletion of the Ozone, and Nuclear Waste (Among Other Things) (reference) Financing Acid Rain Controls Through National Cost Sharing (reference) Learning to Manage Global Environmental Risks - Vol. 1 : A Comparative History of Social Responses to Climate Change, Ozone Depletion, and Acid Rain (reference) Acid Rain National Early Warning System : manual on plot establishment and monitoring (reference) (more book examples)

Music	Acid Rain Greatest Hits (reference) (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Thumbnail	Description & Credit	Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	Collecting water samples for acid rain analysis in a Chesapeake wetland tributary.Credit: America's Coastlines.		A rainwater collector - part of an acid rain observation network that extends from Hilo all the way up Mauna Loa to the observatory at various elevations.Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Subject	Topic	Quote
Business		More than 1.3 billion tons of coal a year is the main cause China's acid rain and SO2 emissions. (references)
		Equipment is needed for monitoring networks in Chinese urban areas and in the Acid Rain and SO2 Control Zones. (references)
		Thirty percent of China's total territory suffers from acid rain, most of if falling in the south part of the country. (references)
Economic History	China	Acid rain falls on 30% of the country. (references)
	Japan	If technologies used to prevent acid rain, the greenhouse effect, ozone degradation and ocean pollution are included, the share becomes much larger. (references)
	Canada	Under the Air Quality Agreement of 1991, both countries have made substantial progress in coordinating and implementing their acid rain control programs and signed an annex on ground level ozone in 2000. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Speaker	Term	Phrase(s)
Ronald Reagan	1981-1989	On the question of acid rain, which concerns people in many areas of the United States and Canada, I'm proposing a research program that doubles our current funding.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expression	Frequency per Day
acid rain	1,398
acid rain picture	100
acid rain effects	59
acid rain information	38
acid rain cause	37
acid rain solution	18
cause and effects of acid rain	14
acid rain pollution	7
acid rain info	7
acid rain fact	6
acid rain statistics	4
acid rain project	3
japan acid rain	3
acid rain report	3
acid rain reduce	3
acid rain source	2
acid rain soil	2
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Acid Rain

Definition: Acid Rain

Acid Rain

Noun

Specialty Definitions: Acid Rain

Specialty Definition: Acid rain

Synonym: Acid Rain

Crosswords: Acid Rain

Modern Usage: Acid Rain

Screenplays

Movie/TV Titles

Commercial Usage: Acid Rain

Books

Music

Image Slideshow: Acid Rain

Photos:Acid Rain

Computer Images:Acid Rain

Photo Album: Acid Rain

Non-Fiction Usage: Acid Rain

Speeches: Acid Rain

Ronald Reagan

Frequency of Internet Keywords: Acid Rain

acid rain

acid rain picture

acid rain effects

acid rain information

acid rain cause

acid rain solution

cause and effects of acid rain

acid rain pollution

acid rain info

acid rain fact

acid rain statistics

acid rain project

japan acid rain

acid rain report

acid rain reduce

acid rain source

acid rain soil

Modern Translations: Acid Rain

Danish

Dutch

Finnish

French

German

Greek

Italian

Japanese Kanji

Japanese Katakana

Pig Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Spanish

Swedish

Turkish

Anagrams: Acid Rain

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Alternative Orthography: Acid Rain

41 63 69 64 52 61 69 6E

01000001 01100011 01101001 01100100 00100000 01010010 01100001 01101001 01101110

&#65 &#99 &#105 &#100 &#32 &#82 &#97 &#105 &#110

0041 0063 0069 0064 0052 0061 0069 006E

35697570252677580

INDEX

Photos:
Acid Rain

Computer Images:
Acid Rain