Human Impact on the Environment

• Nearly 7 billion people live on Earth

• This large population puts a huge strain on the environment.

Pollutants

• Pollutants-a substance that contaminates the environment

Pollutants• Air pollutants include: soot, smoke, ash,

Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and Carbon monoxide (CO).

• Sources include: cars, trucks, factories, homes and power plants.

• Natural sources of air pollution: volcanic eruptions, wind-blown dust and sand, forest fires, & evaporating chemicals.

• Smog (smoke + fog) is low-laying air pollution

• Can cause irritation and asthma or other lung diseases.

Air pollutants + Rain = Acid Rain

Acid Rain

What is Acid Rain?

• Precipitation with a pH of 5.6 or lower.

Causes of Acid Rain

Human Causes of Acid Rain• Step 1: Power stations, factories, and

vehicles burn fossil fuels.

• This releases sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide into the air.

Natural Causes of Acid Rain

• Step 1: Volcanic eruptions, lightning, and bacteria can also contribute to acid rain production.

Step 2:

• The sulfur and nitrogen (now in gas form) combine with the water in the atmosphere forming acid precipitation.

Acid Rain in the U.S.

Effects of Acid Rain

•On Humans

•On Nature

•On Structures

Effects on Human Health

• Increases breathing problems (asthma)

• Causes headaches

• Can irritate eyes, nose, and throat

Effect on human health

• Toxic metals (mercury and aluminum) may also be carried by acid rain

Effects on nature

• Nutrients in soil can be washed away.

• Plants, animals, and waterways can be poisoned.

Effects on structures

• Will wear down structures and eat away at statues.

Acid Rain Quiz

Question 1

• What is acid rain?

• Rain with a pH below 5.6

Question 2

• What human activities cause acid rain?

• Power plants, factories, and vehicle all burn fossil fuels, producing sulfur dioxides and nitrous oxides.

Question 3

• What natural events cause acid rain?

• Volcanic eruptions, lightning, and bacterial activity

Question 4

• What effects does acid rain have on human health?

• It can cause breathing problems, headaches, and inflammation of the eyes, nose, and throat.

Question 5

• What effects does acid rain have on nature?

• It can wash the nutrients out of the soil, it can also poison plants, animals, and waterways.

Question 6

• What effects does acid rain have on structures?

• Acid rain causes the structures to wear away and weaken, it can eat away at statues.

Question 7

• Explain how “acid rain” is related to “fossil fuels”.

• The burning of fossil fuels results in the production of acid rain.

Question 8

• Name ways that we can reduce the amount of acid rain produced.

• Limit our use of fossil fuels and explore alternative forms of energy.

Question 9

• Name the 6 alternatives to fossil fuel energy.

• Nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass.

The End

Acid Rain Lab

1. Is water an acid or not? How do you know?

No, It did not turn the litmus paper pink.

Acid Rain Lab

2. Is vinegar an acid or not? How do you know?

Yes, It did turn the litmus paper pink.

3. Compare and contrast the reactions of chalk and marble to vinegar.

Both dissolved in the vinegar, but the marble dissolved much more slowly.

4. Your friend is interested in running a cemetery. Design an experiment to help him test to see if there is acid rain in the area.

Catch some rainwater in a cup and use a blue litmus paper to test for acidity.

5. Why would someone who owns a cemetery need to know this type of information?

So they can know if the tombstones and memorials will weather and erode faster than normal.

6. What types of materials would you suggest he use for tombstones and monuments in the cemetery? Why?

Marble or other metamorphic rocks, they will weather and erode slower than other materials like chalk.

7. How can acid rain be prevented?

Reduce/stop air pollution by using alternative fuel sources that are less polluting.