What is acid rain?

Did you know......series

ACID RAIN AND PREVAILING WIND

Acid rain is a broad term that is often used to describe several forms of acid deposition. Wet deposition is when rain, snow, fog, or mist contains high amounts of sulfuric and nitric acid. When sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are emitted into the atmosphere, they dissolve in water and fall as precipitation. Dry deposition occurs when dust and smoke that contain high amounts of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides settle to the ground, or onto buildings, cars and vegetation. These gases are converted to acids when they contact water. The acidity of acid rain can vary. Pure water has a pH of 7 and normal rainwater has a pH around 5.6. In 2000, the most acidic rain that fell in the United States had a pH of 4.3. 

​WHERE DOES ACID RAIN COME FROM?

Acid rain develops when sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides enter the atmosphere. While natural processes, such as the eruption of a volcano or decomposing vegetation, can emit sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air, acid rain is primarily caused by excessive emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides as a result of human actions.

The primary cause of nitrogen oxide emissions are vehicles, which account for about 60 percent of all nitrogen oxide emissions. However, emissions also come from furnaces, boilers and engines.
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​CAN ACID RAIN MAKE DRINKING WATER UNSAFE?

Water that is slightly acidic should not be dangerous, as there are many food that have low pH value; for example, lemon juice, soda pop and oranges has a pH range of 2.4 and 3.6. However, a low pH can indicate that there may be other contaminants in the water, because if pollutants have been added to a water source, the pH typically will change. 

Water treatment facilities monitor the pH level of the water while they are treating it for municipal use and therefore Rainwater Harvesters should also. Acidic or basic water is harder to disinfect than water with a pH that is closer t 7.0.​
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​WHY RAINWATER HARVESTERS MUST ADD MENERALS TO CATCHMENT SYSTEMS

​As well, when acidic water is sent through pipes and into homes, there would be a greater danger of pipe corrosion, which could allow metals to dissolve into the drinking water releasing lead into the water supply as it flow through the pipes. One common method used to increase the pH is to add calcium carbonate - Uncle Tilo's Acid Rain Minerals Pack - which neutralizes the acid and increases the pH of the water. Another common method is to inject a sodium carbonate solution into the water.  According to the World Health Organization, a pH less than 8.0 is necessary for effective chlorination. If the pH is too high, water treatment can decrease the acidity in a number of ways.

​WHAT DOES ACID RAIN DO TO VEGETATION?

Acid rain can weaken trees by damaging the leaves and limiting the amount of available nutrients. Acid rain dissolves nutrients and minerals and carries them away before the vegetation can use them to grow. Crops are not usually harmed by acid rain, because farmers use fertilizer, which includes the necessary nutrients, or add crushed limestone to their fields. Limestone is an alkaline material, so it increases the buffering capacity of the soil to neutralize acids. The picture below shows the effects that acid rain had on a pine tree. The branch on the left has lost needles and turned yellow, which is the result of acid rain. 

​​DOES ACID RAIN HARM BUILDINGS?

Acid rain can corrode metals and deteriorate paint and stone. Those of us experienced this during the recent lava flow of 2018.  To see the effects of acid rain for yourself, try this experiment: Put a piece of chalk into a bowl white sugar and another into a bowl of tap water. Leave them overnight and see which is more worn away in the morning. Vinegar is an acid with a pH of 2.8, and chalk is made of calcium carbonate, which is a compound of marble and limestone.

Whether we use municipal, well or rainwater catchment systems we must know the answers to these questions:

​How water is used, where it comes from, and how much it costs. Rainwater Harvesting is not as easy as collect and use  for household use and consumption.  Engagement is the key to provide clean safe water to you and your family.

​From Flint, Michigan to Red Hill in Honolulu, Hawai'i and all those communities in-between is the reflection how the government oversite and regulations has works throughout the United States and Pacific Island Nations. 

Ultimately, individually we are responsible for a personal safe clean water supply. There is no life without water.

The quality of your water is a direct link to the quality of your health. ​

Test your water.  Investigate your water disinfection methods.