Acid precipitation causes and solutions. Acid rain, its causes and harmful effects

Acid rain is a common problem in many areas around the world. They pose a serious danger to humans and environment. Therefore, you should deal with this problem correctly and identify it in a timely manner, which will help you protect yourself from such a negative impact.

Acid rain - what is it?

It is believed that any precipitation should have an acidity in the range of 5.6–5.8 pH. In this case, the water that falls in a particular area is a slightly acidic solution. It does not pose a danger to the environment and is harmless to people.

What is acid rain

If the acidity of precipitation increases, it is called acidic. Normally, rain is slightly acidic, due to a chemical reaction that occurs in the air between carbon dioxide and water. As a result of this interaction, carbonic acid is formed. It is this that gives rain its slightly acidic properties. The increase in precipitation acidity is explained by the presence of various pollutants in the lower layers of the atmosphere.

Most often this phenomenon is caused by sulfur oxide. He enters the photo chemical reaction, which leads to the formation of sulfuric anhydride. This substance reacts with water, resulting in the formation of sulfurous acid. It gradually oxidizes at high air humidity. As a result, particularly dangerous sulfuric acid is formed.

Another substance that causes acid rain is called nitric oxide. It also reacts chemically with air and water particles, forming dangerous compounds. The main danger of such precipitation is that it does not differ in appearance from ordinary ones in color or smell.

Causes of acid rain

The causes of precipitation with increased acidity called:

Why does acid rain form?

• exhausts Vehicle that run on gasoline fuel. During combustion, harmful substances enter the atmosphere, polluting it;
• operation of thermal power plants. Millions of tons of fuel are burned to produce energy, which has a negative impact on the environment;
• extraction, processing and use of various minerals(ore, gas, coal);
• consequence of volcanic eruptions when a lot of acid-forming emissions enter the environment;
• active processes of decomposition of biological residues. As a result, chemically active compounds (sulfur, nitrogen) are formed;
• activities of industrial facilities those involved in metalworking, mechanical engineering, production of metal products;
• active use of aerosols and sprays containing hydrogen chloride, which leads to air pollution;
• use of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment. They operate using freon, the leakage of which is especially dangerous for the environment;
• production building materials . During their manufacturing process, harmful emissions are generated that cause acid rain;
• soil fertilization with nitrogen-containing compounds which gradually pollute the atmosphere.

Impact of acid precipitation on humans and the environment

Sediment contaminated acidic substances, are very dangerous for the entire ecosystem - flora, fauna and humans. Such rains can provoke serious environmental problems that require an integrated approach to solving them.

When hit acid precipitation Nutrients necessary for normal plant growth are destroyed in the soil. They draw metals that are dangerous to humans (lead, aluminum) to the surface of the soil, which were previously in an inactive state. With prolonged exposure to this factor on the soil, it becomes unsuitable for growing crops. And it takes more than one year to restore its properties. painstaking work specialists.

The same Negative influence Precipitation with increased acidity also affects the condition of water bodies. They become unsuitable for fish life and algae growth, since their balance is disrupted. natural environment a habitat.

Also, high acidity of precipitation leads to air pollution. Air masses filled with a huge amount of toxic particles that are inhaled by humans and remain on the surface of buildings. They destroy paint and varnish coatings, facing materials, and metal structures. As a result, it is violated appearance buildings, monuments, cars and everything that is in the open air.

Consequences of acid precipitation

Acid rain leads to global environmental problems that affect every person:

• the ecosystem of water bodies changes, which leads to the death of fish and algae;
• water from polluted reservoirs cannot be used due to increased concentration contains toxins;
• damage to the foliage and roots of trees, which leads to their death;
• soil where precipitation is constantly acidic becomes unsuitable for the growth of any plants.

Acid rain negatively affects not only the state of flora and fauna, but also human life. The death of livestock, commercial fish and crops negatively affects the economic situation in the country. And damage to property (cladding of buildings, objects representing architectural or historical memory) leads to additional costs for their restoration.

Such precipitation has an extremely negative impact on public health. People with chronic diseases respiratory system Those caught in the area affected by acid rain will feel a deterioration in their health.

Plants, fish, and animals located in areas where such precipitation is constantly observed are very dangerous for people. By regularly consuming such foods, mercury, lead, and aluminum compounds enter the body. Substances found in acid rain cause serious pathologies. They disrupt the functioning of the cardiovascular system, nervous system, liver, kidneys, cause intoxication, genetic mutations.

How to protect yourself from acid precipitation

Acid sludge is a serious problem in China, Russia and the United States, where many hazardous metal and coal mining operations are located. It is impossible to combat this problem locally. It is necessary to take comprehensive measures to ensure interaction between several states. Scientists around the world are developing effective treatment systems that will minimize harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

An ordinary person can protect himself from the effects of acid rain with an umbrella and a raincoat. It is recommended not to go outside at all bad weather. When it rains, you must close all windows and do not open them for some time after it ends.

Even as a child, I heard that acid rain is extremely dangerous for the environment, but at that time I did not think anything of it. great importance. I thought it was a normal type of rain. Only as you get older do you realize that acid rain is the result of air pollution.

What is acid rain?

Acid rain consists of water droplets that are unusually acidic due to air pollution, primarily containing excessive amounts of sulfur and nitrogen released by cars and industrial plants. Acid rain is also called acid deposition, as this term includes other forms of acid precipitation such as snow.

Causes of acid rain

Human activity is the main cause of acid rain. Over the past few decades, humans have released so many different chemicals into the air that they have changed the mixture of gases in the atmosphere. Power plants emit most of the sulfur dioxide and most of the nitrogen oxides when they burn fossil fuels.

Why is acid precipitation dangerous?

Acid rain is dangerous for all living and nonliving things, they entail:

• Consequences for the air. Some components of acid pollution are sulfates, nitrates, ozone and hydrocarbon compounds.

• Implications for architecture. Acidic particles also deposit on buildings and statues, causing corrosion.

• Implications for materials. Acid rain destroys all materials and fabrics.

• Consequences for people. Some of the most serious effects of acid rain on people are breathing problems.

• Consequences for trees and soils. Nutrients from the soil are neutralized. And the trees are destined to die, deprived of vital nutrients.

• Implications for lakes and aquatic ecosystems. Acid rain leads to sudden change pH of water bodies.

Acid rain - terrible phenomenon, which should never be underestimated. If possible, protect your head with an umbrella or hat - this is a minimum precaution.

Acid rain is commonly called any precipitation(rain, snow, hail) containing any amount of acid. The presence of acids leads to a decrease in pH levels. pH value

Acid rain is usually called any precipitation (rain, snow, hail) containing any amount of acid. The presence of acids leads to a decrease in pH levels. Hydrogen index (pH) is a value that reflects the concentration of hydrogen ions in solutions. The lower the pH level, the more hydrogen ions in the solution, the more acidic the environment.

For rainwater, the average pH value is 5.6. When the pH of precipitation is less than 5.6, it is referred to as acid rain. Compounds that lead to a decrease in the pH level of sediments are oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen chloride and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Causes of acid rain

Acid rain, by nature of its origin, is of two types: natural (arising as a result of the activities of nature itself) and anthropogenic (caused by human activity).

Natural acid rain

There are few natural causes of acid rain:

activity of microorganisms. A number of microorganisms in the process of their vital activity cause destruction organic matter, which leads to the formation of gaseous sulfur compounds, which naturally enter the atmosphere. The amount of sulfur oxides formed in this way is estimated at about 30-40 million tons per year, which is approximately 1/3 of the total amount;

Volcanic activity supplies another 2 million tons of sulfur compounds into the atmosphere. Together with volcanic gases, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, various sulfates and elemental sulfur enter the troposphere;

decomposition of nitrogen-containing natural compounds. Since all protein compounds are based on nitrogen, many processes lead to the formation of nitrogen oxides. For example, the breakdown of urine. It doesn't sound very pleasant, but that's life;

lightning discharges produce about 8 million tons of nitrogen compounds per year;

burning of wood and other biomass.

Anthropogenic acid rain

Since we are talking about anthropogenic impact, it doesn’t take much intelligence to guess that we are talking about the destructive influence of humanity on the state of the planet. A person is used to living in comfort, providing himself with everything he needs, but he’s not used to “cleaning up” after himself. Either he hasn’t grown out of the sliders yet, or he hasn’t matured enough in his mind.

The main cause of acid rain is air pollution. If thirty years ago as global causes, causing the appearance of compounds in the atmosphere that “oxidize” rain were called industrial enterprises and thermal power plants, today this list has been supplemented by road transport.

Thermal power plants and metallurgical enterprises“donate” to nature about 255 million tons of sulfur and nitrogen oxides.

Solid fuel rockets have also made and are making a significant contribution: the launch of one Shuttle complex results in the release of more than 200 tons of hydrogen chloride and about 90 tons of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.

Anthropogenic sources of sulfur oxides are enterprises producing sulfuric acid and refining oil.

Traffic fumes road transport– 40% of nitrogen oxides entering the atmosphere.

The main source of VOCs in the atmosphere is, of course, chemical production, oil storage facilities, gas stations and gas stations, as well as various solvents used both in industry and in everyday life.

The final result is as follows: human activity supplies the atmosphere with more than 60% of sulfur compounds, about 40-50% of nitrogen compounds and 100% of volatile organic compounds.

From a chemical point of view, there is nothing complicated or incomprehensible about the formation of acid rain. Oxides entering the atmosphere react with water molecules, forming acids. Sulfur oxides, when released into the air, form sulfuric acid, and nitrogen oxides form nitric acid. One should also take into account the fact that in the atmosphere above major cities always contain particles of iron and manganese, which act as catalysts for reactions. Since there is a water cycle in nature, water in the form of precipitation sooner or later falls on the earth. Acid also gets in with the water.

Consequences of acid rain

The term "acid rain" first appeared in the second half of the 19th century and was coined by British chemists working on the pollution of Manchester. He noticed that significant changes in the composition of rainwater are caused by vapors and smoke entering the atmosphere as a result of the activities of enterprises. As a result of the research, it was discovered that acid rain causes discoloration of fabrics, metal corrosion, destruction of building materials and leads to the death of vegetation.

It took nearly a hundred years before scientists around the world sounded the alarm about the harmful effects of acid rain. This problem was first raised in 1972 at the UN conference on the environment.

Oxidation water resources. Rivers and lakes are the most sensitive. Fish die. Despite the fact that some species of fish can withstand slight acidification of water, they also die due to the loss of food resources. In those lakes where the pH level was less than 5.1, not a single fish was caught. This is explained not only by the fact that adult fish die - at a pH of 5.0, most cannot hatch fry from the eggs, as a result there is a reduction in the numerical and species composition fish populations.

Harmful effects on vegetation. Acid rain affects vegetation directly and indirectly. The direct impact occurs in high mountain areas, where tree crowns are literally immersed in acidic clouds. Excessively acidic water destroys leaves and weakens plants. Indirect impact occurs due to a decrease in the level of nutrients in the soil and, as a result, an increase in the proportion of toxic substances.

Destruction of human creations. Building facades, cultural and architectural monuments, pipelines, cars - everything is exposed to acid rain. Many studies have been conducted, and they all say one thing: acid rain exposure has increased significantly over the past three decades. As a result, not only marble sculptures and stained glass windows of ancient buildings are under threat, but also leather and paper products of historical value.

Human health. Acid rain itself does not have a direct impact on human health - getting caught in such rain or swimming in a body of water with acidified water, the person does not risk anything. Compounds that form in the atmosphere due to the entry of sulfur and nitrogen oxides into it pose a threat to health. The resulting sulfates are transported by air currents over considerable distances, are inhaled by many people, and, as studies show, provoke the development of bronchitis and asthma. Another point is that a person eats the gifts of nature; not all suppliers can guarantee the normal composition of food products.

Solution

Since this problem is global in nature, it can only be solved together. The real solution will be to reduce emissions from enterprises, both into the atmosphere and into water. There are only two solutions: stopping the activities of enterprises or installing expensive filters. There is a third solution, but it is only in the future - the creation of environmentally friendly industries.

The words that every person should be aware of the consequences of their actions have long been set on edge. But you can’t argue with the fact that the behavior of society is made up of the behavior of individual individuals. The difficulty is that people are accustomed to separating themselves from humanity in environmental matters: the air is polluted by enterprises, toxic waste gets into the water due to unscrupulous firms and companies. They are them, and I am me.

Household aspects and individual solutions to the problem

Strictly follow the rules for disposing of solvents and other substances containing toxic and harmful chemical compounds.

Give up cars. Maybe? - hardly.

Not everyone can influence the installation of filters or the introduction of alternative production methods, but compliance ecological culture and raising the younger generation to be environmentally literate and culturally aware is not only possible, it should become the norm of behavior for every person.

No one is surprised by the many books and films devoted to the results of man’s technogenic impact on nature. The films depict the dead surface of the planet, the struggle for survival and various mutant life forms in a colorful and frighteningly realistic manner. Fairy tale, fiction? - a very real prospect. Think about it, not so long ago space flights seemed like fiction, engineer Garin’s hyperboloid (modern laser systems) seemed like science fiction.

When thinking about the future of planet Earth, it is worth thinking not about what awaits humanity, but about the kind of world in which children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will live. Only personal interest can motivate a person to take real steps.

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Acid rain is a mixture of materials, both wet and dry, that fall to the ground from the atmosphere. They contain increased level nitric and sulfuric acids. In simple terms, this means that the rain becomes acidic due to the presence of pollutants in the air. The air changes its composition due to emissions from machinery and production processes. The main component of acid rain is nitrogen. Acid rain also contains sulfur.

The combustion of fossil fuels and industry, which primarily emits nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), are causing irreversible changes in the atmosphere. Acidity is determined based on the pH level in the water droplets. Normal rainwater is slightly acidic with a pH range of 5.3-6.0. Carbon dioxide and water present in the air together react to form carbonic acid, which is a weak acid. When the pH level of rainwater falls below this range, the aforementioned precipitation forms.

When these gases react with water and oxygen molecules, sulfuric and nitric acids are formed, among other chemicals found in the atmosphere. They are also called chemical compounds of medium acidity. They usually lead to weathering of matter, corrosion of metal, and peeling of paint on the surface of buildings.

Volcanic eruptions also contain certain chemicals that can cause acid rain. In addition, the combustion of fossil fuels, the operation of factories and vehicles

as a result of human activities also lead to an increase in the acidity of formations in the atmosphere. Currently, a large number of Acid precipitation occurs in Southeastern Canada, the Northeastern states of America and most European countries. Russia, Sweden, Norway and Germany suffer greatly from them, at least that’s what impartial statistics say. Besides, in Lately Acid precipitation is observed in South Asia, South Africa

, Sri Lanka and South India.

Forms of precipitation

• Acid precipitation comes in two forms
• wet

dry Each of them affects the earth's surface differently. And each of them consists of various chemical elements

. It is believed that dry forms of precipitation are more harmful, since they spread over vast distances, often crossing not only the borders of cities, but also states.

Wet precipitation When the weather is humid, acids fall to the ground in the form of rain, sleet, or fog. The climate adjusts, driven by the need to respond. Acids are removed from the atmosphere and deposited in earth's surface . When acid reaches the ground, it has a negative effect on a large number of species of animals, plants and aquatic organisms . Water enters rivers and canals, which mix with sea ​​water , thereby influencing a habitat.

marine environment

Dry precipitation

It is a mixture of acidic gases and particles. About half of the acidity in the atmosphere falls back to earth through dry deposition. If the wind blows in areas where the weather is dry, acidic pollutants turn into dust or smoke and fall to the ground as dry particles. These substances have a negative impact on cars, houses, trees and buildings. Almost 50% of acidic pollutants from the atmosphere are returned through dry precipitation. These acidic pollutants can be washed off the surface of the earth by rainfall. Then the level of acidity of water resources increases even more.

If wet precipitation sooner or later evaporates back into the atmosphere, then in forests dry precipitation clogs the pores of tree leaves.

Story Acid rain and they have been known for quite a long time. Acid rain was first mentioned back in the 1800s, during the Industrial Revolution. Scottish chemist Robert Angus Smith was the first to report this phenomenon in 1852. He devoted his life to researching the connection between acid rain and air pollution in Manchester, England. His work only came to public attention in the 1960s. The term was coined in 1972 when The New York Times published reports on the effects of climate change on forest growth.

Acid precipitation is a source of both natural and man-made disasters. But here the opposite effect occurs. It is these disasters that are most often the sources of acid rain. The main reason for this is the combustion of fossil fuels, which is accompanied by emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.

Natural springs

Natural sources of problematic precipitation:

1. The main natural cause of acid rain is volcanic emissions. Volcanoes emit acid-forming gases that create abnormal acidity. Against this backdrop, a record amount of precipitation falls. The earth suffers from phenomena such as fog and snow. Vegetation and the health of residents in the vicinity of volcanic formations suffer.
2. Rotting vegetation, forest fires and biological processes in the environment generate acid rain by forming gases.
3. Dimethyl sulfide is a typical example of the main biological sources of sulfur-containing elements in the atmosphere. It is its emissions that react with water molecules using electrical activity. Nitric acid becomes acid rain.

Technogenic sources

Human activities leading to the release of chemical gases such as sulfur and nitrogen are the main cause of acid rain. It is we, people, who are to blame for the fact that the atmosphere is destroying the planet. These activities are associated with sources of air pollution. It is the consequences of man-made activities that lead to emissions of sulfur and nitrogen from factories, energy facilities and cars. In particular, the use of coal for electricity generation is the largest source of gaseous emissions that lead to acid rain.

Cars and factories also release large amounts of gaseous emissions into the air. The worst thing is that this process is repeated daily, especially in industrialized areas of the city with big amount car movement. These gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen and other chemicals with the formation of various acidic compounds, for example, sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate and nitric acid. These experiments result in extremely high amounts of acid rain.

Existing winds carry these acidic mixtures to large areas across borders. They fall back to earth in the form of acid rain or other forms of precipitation. Having reached the ground, they spread over the surface, absorbing into the soil and ending up in lakes, rivers and finally mixing with sea water.

The gases sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are mainly derived from electricity through the combustion of coal and are the cause of acid rain.

Consequences of acid rain

Acid rain has significant impacts on the environment and public health. Impact on aquatic environment very large. Acid rain either falls directly onto bodies of water or flows through forests, fields and roads into streams, rivers and lakes. Over a period of time, acids accumulate in the water and lower the pH level. aquatic plants and animals need a certain pH level. It needs to stay around 4.8 to survive. If the pH level drops below, conditions become hostile to the survival of aquatic organisms.

Acid rain tends to change the pH and concentration of aluminum. This greatly affects the pH concentration level in the surface layer of water, thereby affecting fish as well as other aquatic life forms. When the pH level is below 5, most eggs will not hatch.

Below levels can also kill adult fish. Precipitation from drainage basins, which are discharged into rivers and lakes, reduce biodiversity in rivers and lakes. The water becomes more acidic. Many species, including fish, plants and various insects in lakes, rivers and streams, have become sick and some have even been eliminated entirely due to excess acid rain entering water resources.

Politicians, scientists, environmentalists and researchers are ringing the bells in an attempt to educate people about the harm of acid rain. Unlike wet precipitation, dry precipitation is more difficult to measure. During acid precipitation pests Not the surface of the earth is washed into lakes and streams, this can cause uncontrollable climate change.

Normal pH (pH) atmospheric precipitation, precipitated in solid or liquid form, is 5.6–5.7. Being a slightly acidic solution, such water does not harm the environment.

Another thing is precipitation with high acidity. Their formation indicates a high level of pollution of the atmosphere and water with a number of oxides. They are considered anomalous.

The concept of “acid rain” was first introduced by Scottish chemist Robert Angus Smith in 1872. Nowadays, this term is commonly used to refer to any acidic precipitation, be it fog, snow or hail.

Causes of acid rain formation

In addition to water, normal precipitation contains carbonic acid. It is the result of the interaction of H2O with carbon dioxide. Common components of acid precipitation are weak solutions of nitric and sulfuric acid. A change in composition towards a decrease in pH occurs due to the interaction of atmospheric moisture with oxides of nitrogen and sulfur. Less commonly, oxidation of sediments occurs under the influence of hydrogen fluoride or chlorine. In the first case, the rainwater contains hydrofluoric acid, in the second - hydrochloric acid.

• A natural source of atmospheric pollution with sulfur compounds are volcanoes during periods of activity. During an eruption, mainly sulfur oxide is released, with smaller quantities of hydrogen sulfide and sulfates.
• Sulfur- and nitrogen-containing substances enter the atmosphere during the rotting of plant debris and animal corpses.
• Factors of natural air pollution with nitrogen compounds are lightning and thunderstorms. They account for 8 million tons of acid-forming emissions per year.

Naturally occurring acid rain is a constant occurrence on Venus, as the planet is shrouded in clouds of sulfuric acid. Traces of a toxic fog corroding rocks near Gusev Crater have been discovered on Mars. Natural acid rain radically changed the appearance and prehistoric earth. So, 252 million years ago they caused the extinction of 95% biological species planets. In the modern world, the main culprit of environmental disasters is man, not nature.

The main anthropogenic factors causing the formation of acid rain:

• emissions from metallurgy, mechanical engineering and energy enterprises;
• methane emissions when growing rice;
• vehicle exhausts;
• use of sprays containing hydrogen chloride;
• combustion of organic fuel (fuel oil, coal, gas, firewood);
• coal, gas and oil production;
• soil fertilization with nitrogen-containing preparations;
• Freon leakage from air conditioners and refrigerators.

How is acid precipitation formed?

In 65 cases out of 100, acid rain contains aerosols of sulfuric and sulfurous acids. What is the mechanism of formation of such precipitation? Together with industrial emissions sulfur dioxide enters the air. There, during photochemical oxidation, it is partially transformed into sulfuric anhydride, which, in turn, reacts with water vapor and turns into small particles of sulfuric acid. From the remaining (most) part of the sulfur dioxide, sulfurous acid is formed. Gradually oxidizing from moisture, it becomes sulfuric.

In 30% of cases, acid rain is nitrogen. Precipitation, which is dominated by aerosols of nitrous and nitric acid, is formed according to the same principle as sulfur. Nitrogen oxides released into the atmosphere react with rainwater. The resulting acids irrigate the soil, where they break down into nitrates and nitrites.

Hydrochloric acid rain is rare. For example, in the USA their share of the total number of abnormal precipitation is 5%. The source for the formation of such rain is chlorine. It gets into the air when burning waste or with emissions from chemical plants. In the atmosphere it interacts with methane. The resulting hydrogen chloride reacts with water to form hydrochloric acid. Acid rain containing hydrofluoric acid is formed when hydrogen fluoride, a substance released by glass and aluminum industries, is dissolved in water.

Impact on people and ecosystems

Acid rain was first recorded by scientists in the middle of the last century in North America and Scandinavia. At the end of the 70s in the town of Wheeling (USA) during three days it drizzled with moisture that tasted like lemon juice. pH measurements showed that the acidity of local precipitation exceeds the norm by 5 thousand times.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the most acidic rain fell in 1982 on the US-Canadian border - in the Great Lakes region. The rainfall pH was 2.83. Acid rain has become a real disaster for China. 80% of liquid precipitation falling in the Middle Kingdom has a low pH level. In 2006, the country experienced record acid rain.

Why is this phenomenon dangerous for ecosystems? Acid rain primarily affects lakes and rivers. For the flora and fauna of reservoirs, a neutral environment is ideal. Neither alkaline nor acidic water promotes biodiversity. Residents of the lake regions of Scotland, Canada, the USA, and Scandinavia are well aware of how dangerous acid precipitation is for life in water bodies. The consequences of the rains there were:

• loss of fisheries resources;
• reduction in the population of birds and animals living nearby;
• water intoxication;
• leaching of heavy metals.

Soil acidification by precipitation leads to the leaching of nutrients and the release of toxic metal ions. As a result, it is destroyed root system plants, and poisons accumulate in the cambium. Acid rain, damaging conifer needles and leaf surfaces, disrupts the process of photosynthesis. It helps weaken and slow down the growth of plants, causes them to dry out and die, and provokes diseases in animals. Wet air with particles of sulfur and sulfates is dangerous for people suffering from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. It can cause exacerbation of asthma, pulmonary edema, and increases mortality from bronchitis.

Acidic rainwater destroys tuff, marble, chalk and limestone. It leaches both carbonates and silicates from glass and mineral building materials. Precipitation destroys metal even faster: iron becomes covered with rust, and a patina forms on the surface of bronze. A project to protect ancient buildings and sculptures from acid rain operates in Athens, Venice, and Rome. The “Big Buddha” in Leshan, China is on the verge of extinction.

For the first time acid rain as negative environmental factor, became the subject of discussion in the world community in 1972. The Stockholm conference, attended by representatives of 20 states, launched the process of developing a global environmental project. The next important step in the fight against acid precipitation was the signing of the Kyoto Protocol (1997), which recommended limiting emissions into the atmosphere.

Nowadays, most countries in the world have national environmental projects, involving the development of a legal framework for environmental protection, the introduction of treatment facilities at enterprises (installation of air, vacuum, electrical filters). To normalize the acidity of reservoirs, the liming method is used.