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Brook
trout and acid rain
Acid
rain is an environmental problem that is affecting large
parts of the United States. Though "acid rain"
is the common name, "acid deposition" more accurately
describes what is going on because the acid can be deposited
"wet," like rain, smog, and snow, or "dry,"
in the form of acidic gases and particles. Acid rain and
other forms of acid deposition affect ecosystems and the
plants and animals in it, as well as buildings, materials,
and human health.
Watershed
Radio's Trout Fishing
in Virginia talks more about the brook trout and a
Virginia Trout Stream Sensitivity Story. In this Watershed
Radio story we'll focus on the causes and effects of acid
rain, and what you can do about it.
What's
causing the acid deposition_
The
main causes of acid deposition are the sulfur dioxide
(SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NO2 and NO3, together often
called NOx) gases that are released into the atmosphere
when fossil fuels like coal are burned to generate electric
power. (More about electric power generation in Watershed
Radio's Convection.)
In the atmosphere, these gases react with water, oxygen,
and other chemicals to form a variety of acidic compounds.
Image:
Sources and deposition of acid rain. Picture
courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
To
the original image
.
The
ecological effects of acid deposition are most clearly
seen in streams, lakes, and marshes. If the soil around
a water system cannot neutralize the acid deposition,
the water itself becomes acidic, which releases aluminum
from the soil and creates an environment that is toxic
to fish and aquatic insects.
Acid
rain not only affects wildlife and ecosystems in the United
States, but also accelerates the decay of building materials
and paints, including statues or buildings of historic
importance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has a whole website dedicated to acid rain, including
more information on the effects
of acid rain.
What
you can do about it
Because
acid rain is primarily caused by the burning of fossil
fuels, you can help to solve this environmental problem
by saving energy or using renewable energy sources. Start,
for example, by turning off lights, computers, and other
appliances when you're not using them. Use energy efficient
appliances, carpool or use public transportation, and
walk and bicycle when possible. Because we're all part
of the problem, we're also part of the solution.
References
and further reading
Related
Watershed Radio programs
- Search
for other Watershed Radio programs in the Archive.
The archive includes more programs about fish
and pollution,
including a program about Trout
Fishing in Virginia. The archive also includes many
programs about saving
energy or using solar
energy as a renewable energy source.
- Not
only do the
SO2 and NOx gases and their particulate matter derivatives
cause acid rain, they also degrade visibility. Learn
more about that with Watershed Radio's Skyline
Drive View.
About
brook trout and acid rain
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