Climate change caused by anthropogenic activity had a tremendous negative impact on the environment and human health. Industrialization and technological progress made people’s lives much more comfortable. However, it caused immense harm to nature and led to the rise in the number of non-communicable diseases. The power-generating sector is one of the most significant sources of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides released into the atmosphere that react with water molecules, and form nitric and sulfuric acids, respectively (Mohajan, 2018). When these two acids are mixed with the rainwater, the pH drops to less than 5.6, which is considered acidic (Mohajan, 2018). Moreover, since energy is produced primarily by coal combustion, various toxic gases are emitted into the air, harming people’s lungs, cardiovascular system, brain, skin, and eyes, causing various malignancies (Saxena & Srivastava, 2020). Energy production needed for manufacturing and food production damages population health, mainly due to the formation of acid rains; thus, governments place efforts to diminish this problem.
Characteristics of Acid Rains
The concept of acid rains became the topic of increased concern, especially when the speed of civilization development became extremely high. This environmental challenge primarily results from the fact that coal combustion performed for energy production in many countries produces gases that react with rainwater and become acids (Mohajan, 2018). Since humanity can no longer exist without heat and electricity, significant greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere have become an inevitable component of modern life (Wang et al., 2019). These emissions not only result in acid rains but also lead to global warming and climate change (Wang et al., 2019). The sulfuric acid in the atmosphere is formed through the interaction between sulfur trioxide and water, and the product of this reaction is present in the rain, fog, snow, and hail (Mohajan, 2018; Munawer, 2018). The nitric and nitrous acids are formed through the reaction between nitrogen dioxide and hydroxyl radical, resulting in the destruction of vegetation and a drop in the rate of photosynthesis (Munawer, 2018). Overall, the common sense is that the acidic nature of precipitation is dangerous for the environment and living things.
Geographic Scope
Since energy production occurs in every country, the problem of acid rains is present worldwide. Although this phenomenon has been current since the times when people started to use coal for heating buildings, the significant damage to nature began to be investigated heavily only in the 1960s (Mohajan, 2018). It was found that 90% of sulfur dioxide and 95% of nitric dioxide originate from human activity and mainly from the industrial sector (Mohajan, 2018, p. 8). Specifically, 70% of sulfur gases come from manufacturing, and 56% of nitrogen-associated toxins are produced from transporting these goods (Mohajan, 2018, p. 8). In the United States, most acid rains with a pH range of 4-4.2 fall in the country’s northeastern part (Mohajan, 2018). All North American and European nations observed the toxic effect of acid rains on the environment and population health (Mohajan, 2018). China, Japan, India, and Canada have found a dangerous drop in the pH of rainwater in their countries over the last fifty years (Mohajan, 2018). The global community has realized that acid rains are a common problem for humanity.
Key Stakeholders and Economic Costs
The main stakeholders in this environmental issue are communities, governments, industrial corporations, and farms because all of them are affected by acid rains, and some have the power to change regulations to reduce its harmful effect. Communities have to experience the negative impact of these rains on their health, while farms are mainly financially damaged because of the corrosive effect of acidic rainwater on crops. Heavy industries and food manufacturers are the main contributors to this problem, and hence they can alter their strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Mohajan, 2018). The costs of the harm that stems from acid rains are enormous because millions of people develop health problems that increase medical bills. The economic losses that agricultural organizations have from corrosion of crops and soil and countries suffer from continuous damage to buildings. For example, the destruction of concrete was estimated to cost $2 million for China over the last several years (Zhang et al., 2018, p. 94). Lastly, the governments can pass legislation to force these corporations to take adequate measures to diminish this issue.
Health Impacts
The effect of acidic rainwater on people’s well-being is immeasurable because the rise in this environmental issue led to the increase in the incidence of various chronic diseases. According to Munawer (2018), “acid rain … potentially damages skin cells, destroys building material, and pervasively affects vegetation and food chain by contaminating the flora and fauna through the leaching of heavy metals” (p. 88). Furthermore, acid rains cause cellular stress with the subsequent rise in the risk of DNA mutation, which plays a pivotal role in cancer development (Munawer, 2018). This phenomenon has a harmful effect on the human respiratory tract, causing elevated cellular mucin production and resulting in coughing, wheezing, and suffocation (Munawer, 2018). Indeed, asthma and bronchitis may result from acid rains because of the irritation they cause to the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs (Mohajan, 2018). The health threats of acid rains cannot be overstated because millions of people are affected by these disorders annually.
Climate Change and Acid Rains
Climate change seems to exacerbate the problem of acid rains. Many water reservoirs are polluted with acidic rainwater and other chemicals. For example, it was estimated that 50,000 lakes in the U.S. and Canada have a pH of about 5 (Mohajan, 2018, p. 11). Moreover, the rise in the temperature on the planet caused a larger number of hurricanes and flooding (Munawer, 2018). It means that the harmful effect of this environmental challenge is automatically magnified in the regions with a high frequency of floods and hurricanes.
Mitigation Efforts
Since the problem of acid rains has become global, countries and international organizations have developed measures to reduce environmental harm. For instance, the United States federal government enacted the Acid Rain Program (ARP) to minimize the industrial release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide by half (Chan et al., 2018). APR required all central power-generating units and manufacturers to enroll and follow the recommended cap for greenhouse gas emissions (Chan et al., 2018). Over the last three decades, this program reduced the production of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides by 95% and 86%, respectively (EPA, 2020, p. 2). Another example of a mitigation effort is the acid rain policy in China, which is considered one of the countries most affected by this issue (Mohajan, 2018). Although the Chinese program allowed to lower sulfur dioxide emissions, the production of nitrogen oxides remains high.
Conclusion
Acid rain is a severe environmental challenge that damages flora, fauna, infrastructure, and human health. This phenomenon was associated with the problems of multiple organs and systems, including pulmonary, cardiovascular, and skin. The primary source of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides that react with water in the atmosphere and form acids that become part of precipitations is energy and heat production, essential for all industrial sectors. Countries strive to mitigate this problem through special acid rain programs that helped reduce toxic gas emissions over the last several decades.
References
Chan, H. R., Chupp, B. A., Cropper, M. L., & Muller, N. Z. (2018). The impact of trading on the costs and benefits of the Acid Rain Program. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 88, 180-209.
EPA. (2020). Power sector programs. Progress report.
Mohajan, H. (2018). Acid rain is a local environmental pollution but a global concern. Open Science Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 3(5), 47-55.
Munawer, M. E. (2018). Human health and environmental impacts of coal combustion and post-combustion wastes. Journal of Sustainable Mining, 17(2), 87-96.
Saxena, P., & Srivastava, A. (Eds.). (2020). Air pollution and environmental health. Springer.
Wang, X. C., Klemeš, J. J., Dong, X., Fan, W., Xu, Z., Wang, Y., & Varbanov, P. S. (2019). Air pollution terrain nexus: A review considering energy generation and consumption. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 105, 71-85.
Zhang, Y., Gu, L., Li, W., & Zhang, Q. (2019). Effect of acid rain on economic loss of concrete structures in Hangzhou, China. International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, 14(2), 89–94.