Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are gases released by the burning of fossil fuels. These gases can react with water and oxygen to form acids. Normally, rainwater is slightly acidic. But the additional acid that enters the air when fuels are burned makes it even more acidic. Acid rain can have a harmful effect on fish and other wildlife and upsets the delicate balance of a forest or aquatic ecosystem. The good news is that it works the other way, too. Decreasing car and factory emissions can reduce acid rain and help wildlife.…
Acid rain is usually a result of human air pollution such as emissions of sulfur and nitrogen compounds. These compounds react with those in the atmosphere causing acids to be produced and in turn causing precipitation to be acidic in nature. The negative impact of acid rain is evident in ecosystems. Acid rain changes the PH levels of rivers and lakes. Animals such as fish are very susceptible to changes in PH and therefore are unable to survive if the change is too drastic. Plankton and invertebrates are put even more at risk. Acid rain in water environments can also affect plant life. On land, acid rain damages forests in high altitudes and also lowers the fertility of soil as important nutrients and minerals are removed from it. These impacts on different aspects of the environment have a trickling down effect that negatively influence entire…
This acidity dissolves the shells that serves as shelters for so many vital species, and…
Combustion of ethanol is complete - this means reduced tailpipe exhausts of CO, hydrocarbons, particulates, which is particularly beneficial in high-density urban areas. However, it increases emissions of oxides of nitrogen and acetaldehyde, so that there is probably no significant overall effect on air quality. If fuel is spilt into waterways, ethanol is biodegradable and easily diluted.…
Carbon dioxide is both a vital requirement for producers – the first organisms in any…
Nutrients are compounds that stimulate plant growth, like nitrogen and phosphorous. “Water bodies require some nutrients to be healthy, but too much can be harmful. When lakes receive an overabundance of nutrients, they can become polluted by excessive amounts of algae.” (Nutrients: Phosphorus, Nitrogen Sources, Impact on Water Quality) If ingested by humans, it’s obvious that disease or even death could come as an effect.…
A major concern is raised in the cities surrounding Lake Huron, where the pollution in the water is eutrophic effecting the environment and health of many. The sources of this pollution are many, and the culprits as equally diverse. With over 20% of the world’s freshwater supply residing in them, the North American Great Lakes are the world’s largest freshwater system (TEACH). Including Lake Erie, Michigan, Huron, Superior, and Ontario, the five lakes are an important source of fresh water and are home to many species of wildlife. However, with the belief that water could dilute any substance, the lakes also became a destination of dumping grounds for many different types of pollutants. Nonpoint-source pollution is another term for polluted runoff; Point-source pollution and Air pollution are a factor as well. Whether it is from precipitation, water washing over the land, car washing or watering crops or lawns, it picks up an array of contaminants including oil, sand and salt from roadways, agricultural chemicals, as well as nutrients and toxic chemicals from both rural and urban areas. Those are a few major contributing factors to the pollution taking place in the water caused by our everyday personal actions and local land use policies. Determining the causes and effects of water pollution in Lake Huron may facilitate new ideas and solutions for cleaning up our waterways’ and improving public health.…
When plants are in the water oxygen is produced, which at first is helpful. However, when the plants start to decompose, bacteria starts to use and feed off of the oxygen being given off by the plants. After the plants have decomposed and the bacteria have used most of the oxygen, the bacteria begin to give off carbon dioxide which, in turn, limits the oxygen in the water for the fish and makes it difficult for them to survive. Once introduced, invasive species start to contaminate the entire lake because of the native species’ inability to compete.…
Acid precipitation affects the ecosystem, for example, lowering ph in water when it falls into the lake which kills some aquatic organisms.…
Carbon dioxide (CO2) o Colorless and odorless o 93% of CO2 naturally-‐occurring – 7% from human activity (burning of fossil fuels, clearing forest/grasslands) o Only recently has CO2 been considered a pollutant as growing levels threaten the earth’s climate 2) Nitrogen oxides and nitric acid • NO (nitric oxide) – colorless gas -‐-‐ forms during combustion o Sources: 89% natural / 11% human • NO reacts with oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – reddish-‐brown gas • NO and NO2 known as nitrogen oxides (NOx) – play a role in formation of photochemical smog • NOx impacts respiratory functions (asthma and bronchitis) • Some NO2 reacts with water vapor to form nitric acid (HNO3) à component of acid deposition • N2O (nitrous oxide) is a GHG emitted from fertilizers and animal waste 3) Sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid • Sulfur dioxide – colorless and strong odor o Sources: 30% natural sources / 70% human (coal-‐fired power and industrial plants; smelting, oil refining) o Impacts: visibility, damage to metals/paints; respiratory problems • SO2 converted into droplets of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and particles of sulfate – return to earth as acid deposition 4) Particulates • “Particulate matter” (PM) – solid particles or liquid droplets small and light enough to remain suspended in air • PM 10 and PM 2.5 (microns) o Sources: 60% natural sources and 40% human (coal burning and industrial plants, motor vehicles) – diesel engines! o Impacts: Lung damage, respiratory issues, reproductive problems, cancer § Children very susceptible – why? 5)…
Ocean acidification is caused by CO2 in the atmosphere when it reacts with water it creates carbonic acid. It's a significant and harmful consequence of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that we don't see or feel because its effects are happening underwater. When carbon dioxide is absorbed by seawater a chemical reaction occurs that reduces the seawaters pH, carbonate ion concentration, and saturation states of biologically significant calcium carbonate minerals. It decreases the pH of seawater, meaning it increases the seawater’s acidity. Over the past 250 years, ocean acidity has increased by 30 percent. At least one-quarter of the carbon dioxide CO2 released by burning coal, oil and gas doesn't stay in the air, but instead dissolves…
Poison gases also have negative impacts on the nature. Chlorine gas is very harmful to organisms living in water because chlorine dissolves very well when mixed with water (Chlorine). Chlorine is one of the most reactive chemicals and it reacts with other chemicals in water, creating more sodium chloride, which is salt. If there are more salt in water, many freshwater fish would not be able to live in water since they cannot tolerate large amount of salt. Chlorine gas is also harmful to animals and plants when they inhale the gas since it can easily escape from water and enter the atmosphere. Animals and plants don’t store chlorine but repeat exposure to the atmosphere of chlorine can affect their immune system, blood, heart, and respiratory system.…
1. Lime is basic, and it will neutralize the acid in the lake. A smokestack scrubber contains catalysts and other chemicals that help pull harmful substances out of the smoke before it's expelled into the atmosphere. This won't reduce the acidity of the lake right away, but it will reduce the amount of acid rain. Over time, the lake will slowly lose its acidity.…
However, all that glitters isn’t gold. While in practicality gasoline engines do everything that we need them to do such as transport us around, they lack in one area. That area is their emission output. The gas that is the most prolific and the one that makes up more than 65 percent of global emissions is Carbon Dioxide. According to the United State Environmental Protection Agency, “Fossil fuel use is the primary source of CO2” (United State EPA). But why does this matter? Why is gasoline consumption a detrimental practice? Basically, CO2 and other greenhouse gases get trapped within the Earth's atmosphere. These gasses reflect the sun's rays many more times than usual which causes increased temperatures on Earth, hence the term global warming. These increased temperatures have many detrimental effect that are both short and long term. Current effects include: worldwide ice melt,…
I love to try all watersports that involve being pulled behind a boat including, waterskiing, wakeboarding, wakesurfing, wakeskating, barefoot waterskiing, trick skiing, tubing, and disking. All of these activities have a similar impact on the lake because of the boat that is pulling me, so I will talk about them from the general term of wakeboarding because it is my favorite of the activities. The speedboats used for wakeboarding emit hydrocarbons into the lake, the ground water, and the atmosphere (“Water skiing”). Gases and particulates escape from the engine and make their way into the lake water. Wakeboarding boats can also release potentially toxic heavy metals into the water (“Water skiing”). These chemical finds their way into fish swimming in the water and cause some fish to be dangerous to eat. Fish such as Bass, Walleye, and Northern Pikes in Whitefish Lake have unsafe levels of mercury in their tissue due to these chemicals (“Fisheries”). The emission of chemicals, gases, and metals by boats hurt the water and air supply around the…