How Does Acid Rain Affect Aquatic Ecosystems?

Allow me to explain first what acid rain is and then we will go into the affects it has on aquatic ecosystems and why this is such a problem all over the world now. Acid rain is just like regular rain it falls from the clouds to the earth below but it’s has unnaturally high amounts of sulfuric or nitric Acid mixed into the water levels. Acid rains are caused mainly by man made culprits like emissions from vehicles that burn fossil fuels. Scientists first thought that acid rain was caused by natural emissions things like volcanic eruptions and lightening strikes but when they did a study of lakes and their pH balance they noticed that the lakes actually hadn’t become acidic previously but 10 to 15 years before the testing had begun and that was in 1980 so it wasn’t a natural occurring event this was purely linked to humans and their dumping, waste and releasing toxins into the atmosphere.

Now when acid rain falls onto the earth especially aquatic ecosystems it can be detrimental almost from the very first drop, and that’s because it will raise the acid levels in the lakes and rivers causing the pH balance to actually go off kilter which in the end will kill off wildlife that depends on a specific pH balance to survive. If they do not maintain this specific level of pH balance then things will start to die off and if that happens then there could be an overpopulation of one species and an under population of another species until finally things die out completely and aquatic ecosystems become destroyed all together. There is only one singular way that we can prevent acid rain from happening and that is by reducing the levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from reaching the atmosphere.

The best way that the people all over the world can help our aquatic ecosystems is by putting a cap limit on how much SO2 and NOX are allowed out of power plants, By making and manufacturing low emission or no emission cars and stop using fossil fuels to get around anymore. Reducing the fossil fuel use all together would make this planet so much more healthy but because the world is so reliant on it. It’s used in so many applications that it’s going to be a very difficult road for people to actually go down to get themselves off fossil fuels and into using more ecofriendly ways of heating, cooling, and manufacturing things.

It will be a long road but acid rain can be prevented and it can be stopped if we just really took into consideration the damage that it’s causing to our aquatic ecosystems around the world. Marshlands, Rivers, Lakes, Streams, Oceans and Ponds are all being effected by acid rain and we can as a world culture do something about it even in our own homes by driving less and bringing this issues to our local state and federal congressmen. Working together as a world instead of working against the planets health.