Acid rain homework

Clams, snails, crayfish and other crustaceans, brook trout, walleyed pike and bullfrogs are especially sensitive to acid in their water supply. Thus, the pH does not have to decrease very much before fish cannot survive. Insects, birds and mammals are also highly affected by acid rain.

Observe the effects of acid rain on living plants. Water a control plant with distilled water and the other with vinegar water (1 tablespoon vinegar per 1 cup distilled water). You can also water them both with distilled water and spritz them with distilled water or vinegar water to more accurately simulate rain.

View article for: Acid rain is a form of air pollution. When coal and petroleum are burned in automobiles, electric power plants, and factories, they release certain harmful gases into the air. These gases combine with the oxygen and water in the air.

While pH values as low as 2 and 3 have been measured for rainfall in the United States and Europe, by the year 2000 the most acidic precipitation in the United States had an average pH of 4.3. Acid rain is devastating to all forms of life, but its effects are especially severe in freshwater habitats such as lakes, rivers, and streams.