The Harms of Acid Rain

Acid rain is the acid precipitation whose PH value is below 5.65. It is mainly caused by the large number of acidic substances emitted by human beings into the atmosphere. The acid rain in China is mainly due to burning too much coal with high sulfur content. In addition, the large number of tail gases emitted from a variety of motor vehicles is also an important reason for the formation of acid rain. In recent years, some regions in China have been greatly affected by acid rain. The scope and extent of the pollution caused by acid rain have attracted great attention of people.

Acid rain is a complex phenomenon, which is caused by atmospheric chemical and physical factors. Acid rain contains a variety of inorganic acids and organic acids, most of which are sulfuric acid and malic acid. The acid rain in China is mainly sulfuric acid type. There three major areas in China suffering from acid rain: southwest China; Central China; and the east coast of China.

Acid rain causes various kinds of damages to our environment as well as to human beings. First of all, it causes serious air pollution to our environment, which then leads to the changes of the regularity of seasonal and diurnal variation.

Secondly, acid rain increases the cloud in the sky, which will reduce both of the sunshine duration and solar radiation. The increasing dust particles in the sky will also reduce atmospheric transparency. What's more, the dust will weaken the ultraviolet of sunlight, which is also harmful to the health of urban residents.

Thirdly, acid rain can cause soil acidification. It will accelerate the loss of nutrients and minerals in soil, change the structure of the soil, lead to poor soil sterileness, affect the normal development of plants. What's more, it can also induce plant diseases and insect pests, thus decreasing the production of the crop.

What's more, acid rain can also bring damages to the non-metal building materials, making them black and dirty, and thus damage the building and affecting the appearance and landscape of the city.

Then what we should do to prevent and control acid rain?
Firstly, it is necessary to develop new energy sources, such as hydrogen energy, solar energy, hydroenergy, tidal energy, geothermal energy, and so on.
Secondly, it is suggested to use new technologies such as desulfurization, so as to reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide.
Thirdly, people should drive car as less as possible, and take public transport much often.
Fourthly, it is also helpful to use natural gas and other cleaner energies instead of coal.