The kind of pollution and climate change we are seeing these days can create many serious problems in the future. Whenever it rains, we expect drops of water from the sky, but scientists believe that a day may come when instead of water, drops of acid fall on the earth. Let us know why and how this can happen.
What is acid rain?: Acid rain is nothing new. It is already happening on Earth in some amounts. It occurs when pollutants in the atmosphere, such as sulfur dioxide (SOâ‚‚) and nitrogen oxides (NOâ‚“), combine with water vapor to form sulfuric acid or nitric acid. These acids then fall to the ground in the form of raindrops. However, it would be wrong to call this rain "acid rain" altogether, because it is not acidic enough to be called pure acid.
Can pure acid rain occur on Earth?: At present, it is not possible to have pure acid rain, but under certain circumstances, it can happen in the future. If the amount of pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide increases too much in the atmosphere, then such a situation can arise. These pollutants are mostly produced by factories, factories and excessive use of fossil fuels. Smoke from vehicles and greenhouse gases emitted from industries can also be a major reason for this.
Other causes of acid rain: Apart from pollution, volcanic eruptions can also lead to this problem. When volcanoes erupt, they release large amounts of sulfur dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere, which can cause acid rain. For example, after the eruption of the Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines in 1991, there were so many gases in the atmosphere that acid rain became likely.
Danger can also come from space: Acid rain can also occur on Earth due to meteorites or other astronomical events from space. If a large meteorite hits the Earth, the dust and gases released from it can go into the atmosphere and create conditions of acid rain.
Can we prevent this situation?: To prevent acid rain, the most important thing is to control pollution. We can avoid this problem by reducing the smoke from factories, vehicle smoke and the use of fossil fuels. Also, by using green energy and clean technologies, we can avoid pure acid rain on the earth in the future.
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