FREE ESSAY ON EFFECTS OF ACID RAIN ON WATER

EFFECTS OF ACID RAIN ON WATER

Effects of Acid Rain on Water
The effects of acid rain are most clearly seen in the aquatic, or water, environments,
such as streams, lakes, and marshes. Acid rain flows to streams, lakes, and marshes after
falling on forests, fields, buildings, and roads. Acid rain also falls directly on
aquatic habitats.
Most lakes and streams have a pH between 6 and 8. However, some lakes are naturally
acidic even without the effects of acid rain. Lakes and streams become acidic (pH value
goes down) when the water itself and its surrounding soil cannot buffer the acid rain
enough to neutralize it. In areas like the Northeastern United States where soil
buffering is poor, some lakes now have a pH value of less than 5. One of the most acidic
lakes reported is Little Echo Pond in Franklin, New York. Little Echo Pond has a pH of
4.2. Lakes and streams in the western United States are usually not acidic. Because of
differences in emissions and wind patterns, levels of acid deposition are generally lower
in the western United States than in the eastern United States.
This chart shows that not all fish, shellfish, or their food insects can tolerate the
same amount of acid:
Generally, the young of most species are more sensitive than adults. Frogs may tolerate
relatively high levels of acidity, but if they eat insects like the mayfly, they may be
affected because part of their food supply may disappear. As lakes and streams become
more acidic, the numbers and types of fish and other aquatic plants and animals that live
in these waters decrease. Some types of plants and animals are able to tolerate acidic
waters. Others, however, are acid-sensitive and will be lost as the pH declines. Some
acid lakes have no fish. At pH 5, most fish eggs cannot hatch. At lower pH levels, some
adult fish die. Toxic substances like aluminum that wash into the water from the soil may
also kill fish.
Together, biological organisms and the environment in which they live are called an
ecosystem. The plants and animals living within an ecosystem are highly interdependent.
For example, fish eat other fish and also other plants and animals that live in the lake
or stream. If acid rain causes the loss of acid-sensitive plants and animals, then fish
that rely on these organisms for food may also be affected.