Reasearch on acid rain

Reasearch on acid rain

The Effects of Acid Rain. Overall the effects of acid rain on the environment have been devastating. Scandinavia has witnessed the destruction of over 5, aquatic ecosystems as a result of acid rain and Ontario Canada has lost fish in an estimated 4, lakes and streams IMPACT OF ACID RAIN ON FORESTS. Acid rain can dissolve certain more soluble elements from the soil, like aluminum. The dissolved aluminum begins to accumulate and can reach toxic levels as it enters local streams and wetlands. Acid rain also removes important nutrients from the soil, such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium Aug 18,  · The Legacy of EPA’s Acid Rain Research. Published August 18, An EPA scientist testing the acidity of a stream (). In EPA’s 50 years of research, one of the most significant environmental challenges the nation faced was the problem of acid rain. Although evidence of acid rain’s harmful effects emerged centuries ago, it wasn’t until the early s that it was recognized as Estimated Reading Time: 7 mins

The Legacy of EPA’s Acid Rain Research | US EPA

Lead Scientist s : Dr Gene E Likens. Acid rain is a popular term for the atmospheric deposition of rain, snow, sleet, hail, acidifying gases and particles, as well as acidified fog and cloud water. Gene E. Likens discovered acid rain in North America when working with colleagues at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. said Likens. The pH of these first samples averaged about 4.

The pH scale indicates the acidity or base of a solution, like degrees Celsius represent the temperature. Each unit on the pH scale represents a fold difference, so a pH of 4 is 10 times more acid than a pH of 5. Beer has an acidic pH of 4, milk has a neutral pH of 7, and baking soda has an alkaline pH of 9, reasearch on acid rain. Natural precipitation typically has a pH level of about 5.

Scientists quickly realized that the low pH readings at Hubbard Brook warranted closer scrutiny, reasearch on acid rain. Past research has shown that acidic pH levels can have serious environmental consequences. In aquatic and wetland ecosystems a range of organisms, such as salamanders, rainbow trout, frogs and crayfish, die when pH levels fall below 4.

In addition to harming wildlife, acid precipitation can impact tree vigor and growth, degrade soil quality and lower crop yields. Since the early s, a team of scientists, led by Dr. Likens, has been reasearch on acid rain and assessing long-term data on precipitation chemistry at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Other scientists here working on the problem of acid rain and air pollution include Dr.

Kathleen Weathers, Dr. Gary Lovett, Mr. Donald Buso, and Mr. Thomas Butler. With low levels of human development and 3, hectares 7, acres of unbroken, forested lands, to the casual observer the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest seems removed from the human-accelerated environmental changes that plague urbanized, industrial and more developed areas.

What was causing acidic precipitation to fall in an isolated New Hampshire forest? Furthermore, how could scientists prevent pH levels from rising to levels that would irreparably harm the ecosystem? The results of over forty years of careful research points to one obvious culprit- fossil fuel combustion. Minimizing acid precipitation depends upon curtailing the acid-forming pollutants. When heating homes, utilizing electricity, or driving reasearch on acid rain, most of us rely on fossil fuel energy.

When combusted, fossil reasearch on acid rain such as coal and oil emit acid-forming nitrogen and sulfur oxides. These compounds mix in the atmosphere, often traveling thousands of kilometers from their original source.

As a result, pollutants from power plants in southern New Jersey or southern Michigan can impact pristine forests in undeveloped parts of New Hampshire. Research at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest has made significant inroads into understanding and controlling acid precipitation.

Innovations in reducing fossil fuel emissions, reasearch on acid rain, such as taller stacks on factories, catalytic converters, reasearch on acid rain, and low-sulfur coal, all have been employed in response to results of acid deposition research. Likens' insight has informed a range reasearch on acid rain policy measures, including the Amendments to the Clean Air Act.

As a result of globalization, fossil fuel combustion is increasing around the world. If the US is to serve as a model for developing nations, it is important to keep US legislation regulating fossil fuel emissions science-based and strong. Breadcrumb Home Science Research Projects Acid Rain Lead Scientist s : Dr Gene E Likens. Related Projects. Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study. Select the newsletters you would like to receive.

Research Acid Rain

, time: 10:28

Acid Rain Research Papers

The Effects of Acid Rain. Overall the effects of acid rain on the environment have been devastating. Scandinavia has witnessed the destruction of over 5, aquatic ecosystems as a result of acid rain and Ontario Canada has lost fish in an estimated 4, lakes and streams Aug 18,  · The Legacy of EPA’s Acid Rain Research. Published August 18, An EPA scientist testing the acidity of a stream (). In EPA’s 50 years of research, one of the most significant environmental challenges the nation faced was the problem of acid rain. Although evidence of acid rain’s harmful effects emerged centuries ago, it wasn’t until the early s that it was recognized as Estimated Reading Time: 7 mins Research at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest has made significant inroads into understanding and controlling acid precipitation. Innovations in reducing fossil fuel emissions, such as taller stacks on factories, catalytic converters, and low-sulfur coal, all have been employed in response to results of acid deposition research. Dr