UNIT 5: Air, Air Pollution, Climate ChangeName ______

Chapter 12, Section 3: Acid Precipitation

Standards: SEV3a

What is acid precipitation? /  Pure water has a pH of ______.
 Normal precipitation has pH of ______
› Slightly acidic due to CO2 mixing with water vapor to make ______.
 Acid precipitation has pH of ______
 Can be in the form of ______
How does acid precipitation form? /  ______released when fossil fuels are burned.
 SO2 & NOx combine with water vapor in atmosphere to make ______
 Can fall out of sky, run along ground, and enter water sources.
How do US acid precipitation levels compare to the world? /  Eastern U.S. (Lake Erie & Lake Ontario) has pH of ______
 Most of Europe ______
 Eastern Europe and parts of Scandinavia ______
What factors influence acid precipitation? /  High Population-
› higher population, more ______, more fossil fuel usage
 More industry
› More factories putting out SO2 & NOx
 Type of rocks in soil can alter pH levels
› ______- neutralize pH
› ______- less neutralizing power
How does acid precipitation affect soil and plants? /  ______- soil pH drops due to acid precipitation
› Soil nutrients are ______and washed away
› Toxic metals (Al) are ______from soil particles & taken up by plants
› ______can clog openings in leaves so they can’t get CO2 to make sugar
How does acid precipitation affect aquatic ecosystems? /  Fish are adapted to live at ______
 Acid precipitation makes water too acidic and many aquatic organisms ______
 ______that leaches out of soil can enter water, attach to fish gills, cause ______.
Why is acid accumulation worse in the spring? /  Acid snow will melt rapidly causing pH of river water to drop rapidly resulting in ______
› Causes massive ______
› Fish & frog may produce ______eggs which may not hatch
› Many eggs that do hatch have ______.
How does acid precipitation affect humans? /  Toxic metals can be leached out of soil by acid & be taken up by crops, water, fish which can ______humans
 Irritate ______systems
 Less fish = decrease in ______(people lose jobs)
 Dissolves building materials
› Marble, limestone easily ______
› Metals can be ______
› ______to repair these things.
Why is acid precipitation a global problem? /  Air pollution is released in ______and falls ______.
 Air pollution produced in northeastern US falls in southeastern Canada
› Created ______(1991) to reduce emissions along border.
 China burns mostly ______with few if any pollution laws which affects many nearby Asian countries.
You should be able to… /  Explain how acid precipitation forms.
 Describe the harmful effects that acid precipitation can have on plants, soil, and aquatic ecosystems.
 Describe 3 ways in which acid precipitation can affect humans.
 Describe a way in which countries are working together to solve the problems of acid precipitation.