The formation of acid rain is mainly out of the combustion of oil and gas in factories, cars, planes and so on. As a result of the combustion, constant emissions of sulfur and nitrogen compounds into the atmosphere is followed by the enrichment of gases like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in some areas. In the process of the condensation of water, these gases dissolves in it, then go through complex atmospheric chemical and physical processes like oxidation to allow sulfuric acid or nitric acid to take shape. The two types of acid fall with the rain, snow, hail and fog, forming acid rain, acid snow, hail, acid mist and so on. It can be seen that acid rain is also the result of severe atmospheric pollution caused by human activities, and is one of the global environmental problems faced by modern human society.
Acid rain can hurt the cornea and respiratory mucous membranes of people, easily leading to red eye disease and bronchitis and inducing lung disease. It results in the farmland soi l acidification and causes the dissolution of heavy metal originally fixed in the minerals in soil, such as mercury, cadmium, lead and so on. Absorbed and gathered by crops and vegetables, these poisons sicken people ingesting them. This is the indirect effect of acid rain on human health.
Acid rain can damage some precious cultural relics: Buddha’s eyes, nose, ears, etc. Stone forest and stone carvings are mostly carved from limestone, their encounter with acid rain will immediately cause chemical reaction with neutralization and corrosion.
Acid rain falling on lakes can lead to acidification of lakes where algae are reduced, fish and shrimps die or even extinct. The acid mist caused by acid rain can also do harm to birds. Acid rain can lead to forest degradation, lake acidification, poor soil, crop failure, building corrosion... It's wreaking havoc on our homes.
In the mid-1970s, acid rain zones taking shape in China covered parts of Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Qingdao, taking up an area of 2 million square kilometers.
Events of Acid Rain in London
In early December, 1952, an exhibition of award-winning cattle was being held in London. Not until Londoners had time to feel sorry for them, did they feel uncomfortable themselves.. Many people suffered from breathing difficulties, tingling eyes and respiratory symptoms such as asthma and cough.
During the four days from December 5th to 8th, the death toll in the city of London reached 4,000, with an average of 1,000 deaths per day. When the toxic smoke cleared on the 9th, acid rain fell. After the acid rain stopped, the havoc did not stop. Two months later, more than 8,000 people were killed. This is the most terrible acid rain event in London.
The most terrible thing about the acid rain and smog in London is that it was not just a few days of toxic smoke, it lasted for a long time. More than 12,000 people lost their lives. There were 12 more severe events of smog in 1956, 1957 and 1962. It wasn't until after 1965 that people really felt comfortable working and living again.
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