Mr. Boxy
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Acid rain is wet and dry precipitation that contains high levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. It can be in the form of rain, dust, smoke, fog, or snow. Unpolluted rain has a pH of 5 or 6, but acid rain can have a pH as low as 2.2, the same acidity as lemon juice. This corrodes metal and erodes paints, forcing Automakers and bridge maintenance crews to switch to special acid-resistant paints to fight the problem. It also eats away at stone, particularly marble and limestone. This can be seen vividly at many of the monuments in Washington D.C:
Acid rain particles also reduces visibility. The Grand Canyon may be in a remote area, but there isn't enough precipitation to move sulfur and nitrogen out of the air. As a result, the park is covered in a light haze most of the year.
Acid rain can be created naturally by gases released from volcanic eruptions, but today it's mostly caused by man-made gases released into the atmosphere. In the U.S, 2/3 of the sulfur dioxide and 1/4 of the nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere comes from burning coal and oil to generate electricity.
Posted 5398 day ago
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