Many people are in love with rain and all the effects and emotions it makes you feel. And many others hate it because of the same reasons. But you know which the one that should be hated for real is? ACID RAIN!

Acid Rain includes rain, snow, hail, fog, or dew that is high in acid pollutants, especially sulphuric and nitric acid.

Rainwater is by nature acidic (pH 5.6) because air contains carbon dioxide, which is converted to carbonic acid when it comes in contact with water. Many activities of people help to increase this acidity: in 1974 in Pitlochry (Scotland) fell a rain that was as acidic as lemon juice, 1000 times more than ordinary rain.  This phenomenon has devastating effects on the environment, especially on forests and lakes.

Extensive use of fossil fuels in car engines and in industry causes the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide into the atmosphere. These products combine with cloud water to produce sulfuric acid and nitric acid 6. Wind blows polluted clouds thousands of miles away from the source of the pollution before rain or snowfall returns these acids to the ground. These substances can enter directly into water sources or enter the soil, where they fix certain chemical elements (Calumin (lead, mercury) and bring them to the water mirror. Acid rain removes from the soil the nutrients necessary for life of the plant. It breaks down other minerals and reduces the ability of trees to carry invigorating fluids to their leaves.

The problem of Acid Rain has not only increased with rapid growth in population and industrialization, but it has also become more harmful. In fact, the use of the tall chimneys on a factory, ship, has contributed to the spread of Acid Rain by releasing gases into the atmosphere. A large number of acid deposits are witnessed in Canada, the United States, Europe, portions of Sweden, Norway, and Germany. Some amount of acid deposits are found in parts of South Asia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Southern parts of India like Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai.

A lake in limestone environment neutralizes acid rain.  Its pH indicator is between 7 and 8, and animals and plants can develop normally in it, because they are used to this pH level.

Acid rain causes acidification of lakes located above the granite bed and kills almost all plant and animal life. Surprisingly, the water in acidified lakes is crystal clear. Some of the nitrogen oxides fall directly into the soil in the form of dry deposits, which affect the natural protective coating of the leaves. The suction capacity of the leaves decreases and their transpiration increases. Plants are much more easily affected by insects, diseases and fungi.

A great way to reduce acid rain is to produce energy without using fossil fuels. Instead, people can use renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Renewable energy sources help reduce acid rain because they produce much less pollution.

In the end, it is really important for us to react and give our contribution on cleaning the environment to prevent the fall of acid rain and its devastating effects. Let’s stick only to our natural rainwater and try to fight the rain to be hated.