Roles

• The Biologist – Ahsen Khaliq• The Economist – Collin McClelland• The Health Care Officer – Adam• The Chemist – Chris Dews

ACID RAIN – The Biologist

Ahsen Khaliq with the Biologist’s viewpoint on acid rain.

Acid Rain-Forests• The forests are affected

across the world including Germany where statistics shows 34% of the total forest has been dying from air pollution.

• Switzerland is no better with 14% of its forests infected.

• 1963 to 1965 20% of the total biomass of balsam fir has declined

• Red Pruce has declined a drastic 73%.

• Mountain sugar maples and beech trees had a 25% decline in biomass.

Effect on Soil• Acid Rain also affects the soil

by the soil neutralizing the acids.

• Soils that contain Limestone and Calcium Carbonate can neutralize the acids.

• Leaching- a process in which acid deposition adds hydrogen ions which displaces important nutrients like Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium.

• Leaching pushes the ions deeper in the soil so the plants roots can’t reach them.

Effect on Fish• During the winter dangerously

acidic pollutants have built up in the snow and when the snow melts in spring all the acid drains into the water system killing many fish.

• Even those who survive suffer from Acid Stress

• Other affect on the fish are reduced egg composition, decreased growth, inability to regulate there own body chemistry, and deformities in young fish and increased susceptibility to naturally occurring diseases.

• These mass fish disappearances affects the birds and eventually our whole ecosystem.

Sources

• http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/196forests.html

• http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/196soil.html

• http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/102/arain.html• http://www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/acidwater.html

Acid Rain – The Economist

• Collin McClelland with the Economist’s viewpoint on acid rain.

The Clean Air Act

• In 1990, Congress dramatically revised and expanded the Clean Air Act, providing EPA even broader authority to implement and enforce regulations reducing air pollutant emissions. The 1990 Amendments also placed an increased emphasis on more cost-effective approaches to reduce air pollution.

The Clean Air Act Effects

• The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 also known as Title IV has an annual benefit of 119 billion dollars.

• Important benefits include saving lives, illness reduction, and visibility.

Destruction of Forests and Natural Resources

• The extinction of the plants and animals leads to diminished gene pool. The lack of biodiversity and a reduced planetary gene pool could have many unforeseen consequences, some of which could be fatal to the future of humanity.

• Acid Rain can contaminate

drinking water supplies. If someone were to drink water from this supply then they could sustain many health related problems.

Impact on Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

• Soil tainted by acid rain might hinder or halt the necessary synthesis of nitrogen in legumes, such as beans, peas and many forage crops. These play important roles in restoring nitrogen, a crucial nutrient for plant growth, to soils.

• Animals such as cattle that eat grass and shrubs could get ill from high acid levels in the soil that are sucked up from the plants.

Decay of Infrastructure

• Residential and commercial buildings, monuments, and many other physical assets are damaged by acid rain. Repairing this damage costs money that could be invested more productively elsewhere.

• Acid rain accelerates the corrosion of materials such as limestone, sandstone, mortar and many metals, causing serious problems for older buildings, outdoor sculptures and monuments.

Impact on Society

• Our historical monuments and statues are being decayed by acid rain which could deprive future generations from seeing such beautiful sculptures and buildings.

Sources

• http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/9111/DOCS.HTML

• http://www.env-econ.net/2005/10/benefits_and_co.html• http://epa.gov/air/caa/peg/understand.html• http://www.earlham.edu/~pols/17Fall96/inneske/

effects.HTM• http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?

res=9B0DE2D6143AF934A35754C0A961948260• http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/

Health,_Environment_and_the_Economy/Economic_Issues/Damage_to_Infrastructure_and_Canadian_Industries-WS7DBE4D9F-1_En.htm

Acid Rain- The Health Officer

• Adam Reynold with the health officer’s viewpoint on acid rain.

The Health Officer• Acid rain is not directly

related to the health of humans.

• Just by walking or swimming in acid rain does not harm people it is as safe as swimming in clean water.

• The pollutants that cause acid rain (sulfur dioxide (SO2)) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)) are involved with human’s health problems.

Health Problems• Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and

nitrogen oxides (NOx) gases turn in to particles that can be inhaled deep into people's lungs.

• In high levels of the fine particles there is an increase in illnesses, a key component of urban smog, cause inflammation and damage to tissues, and premature death from respiratory diseases such as:

• Asthma and Bronchitis.

Health Problems

• These particles are particularly dangerous to the elderly and to people with heart and respiratory diseases.

• Nitrogen oxides cause ground-level ozone that causes respiratory problems like:

• Pneumonia and Bronchitis