Acid Deposition Essay

Acid Deposition

Acid deposition is a widespread problem found all over the world. Since the beginning of the 1900s, countries had started to face with environmental problems that are occurred by acid deposition or accumulations of acids and acidic gases in the atmosphere and the surface of Earth. These accumulations can be classified as wet deposition and dry deposition. As wet deposition refers to acid precipitation, which is unusually acidic according to the pH scale (the scale numbered from 0 to 14 to measure acid levels in pH), dry deposition refers to an accumulation of acidic gases and acidic particles. Most of the release of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides by industrial activities and transportation cause acid deposition by forming into sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Although strong emission control laws are taken to prevent the release of nitrogen oxides and sulfuric dioxide by industrial activities, it is not enough to avoid its harmful impacts on nature, human health, and man-made products.

Acid deposition is caused by two types of sources that are human activities and natural sources. Human activities are including power plants, factories, car exhausts, and home fires, which contribute about 70% of sulfur dioxide nitrogen oxides in the world. Though human causes are principally responsible for acid deposition, natural sources such as fires, lightings, bacterial decomposition, and volcanic eruptions also enhance acid deposition. For instance, the eruption of Mount St Helen’ released sulfur dioxide as much as a coal burning power plant does in a year in 1980. Once sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides have been released into the air, they can be carried by ...

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... production is not enough for a country. Therefore scientists keep working on finding better solutions to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Apart from these, individuals can contribute to reduce acid deposition by using public transport, not wasting electricity, using polar power and batteries.

Consequently we can come to a decision that air deposition is a problem occurred and increased mainly by industrial activities and some natural sources. Throughout years it impacts on our environments are observed as harmful and inclined to cause worse problems on health, natural ecosystems and man-made products. In order to minimize these impacts, we should use natural resources or all emissions of chemicals from industrial activities should be prevented as much as possible by some of the solutions. Individuals also should contribute to reduce acid deposition.