What is the Effect of Acid Rain on Plant Growth?
Introduction

My topic is about how acid rain affects plant growth. My hypothesis is that the plant will grow faster with the distilled water. My research says that it won’t grow well with the acid rain.

Acid Rain Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is usually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions. (“Acid Rain” Wikipedia) It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. It is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. There are many types of pollution that cause acid rain. A big problem is cars and the exhaust, which is created by the burning of fuel. Another is factories that burn coal, oil, and fuel. Acid precipitation is worst in eastern North America, Northwestern and Central Europe, throughout Asia, and other scattered places around the World. (“Acid Rain” Wikipedia)

Acid rain is measured by the pH level. It is measured on a 1-14 number scale. 1 is most acidic and 14 is most basic. 7 is neutral, which is known as distilled water. Scientists use a pH meter to measure the acid rain. A normal pH level for acid rain is 5.6. (“Acid Rain” Wikipedia)

The effects of acid rain are getting worse as more cars are sold and factories are made. Depending on the pH level, acid rain could kill all plants and other living things. Some people believe that it can erode away stone. There aren’t many ways to prevent acid rain, however, there are a few methods to cleaning up the atmosphere: cutting back on fuel, oil, and burning coal. Some places have coal washers that prevent air pollution, but that water gets dumped into sewers and therefore, creates sewage problems. There have been people trying to shut down the factories in the past before. After people got bigger smokestacks and chimneys, their pollution got better, but got much worse in other countries. The reason: the wind blew the clouds hundreds of miles away. Also, some people have tried to not drive as much, but people started to drive again, thinking it was ok.

Acid rain is believed to harm plants by changing soil chemistry. Soils exposed to acid rain can lose nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Some people believe that acid rain disrupts soil regeneration which is the recycling of mineral nutrients through plants back to earth.

Acid rain can cause leafy plants such as lettuce to hold increased amounts of cadmium.

Acid rain also releases toxic metals which damage the roots of the trees. Then the trees are weakened, cannot grow properly, and is attacked by viruses, fungi, and pests. Damage to the trees occur when sulfur dioxide (SO2) blocks the pores on the leaves, through which the trees in the air need to live. (“Acid Rain” Wikipedia)

Forest floods that are affected by acid rain have high concentrations of metals like aluminum and lead. When animals drink from acidic lakes that have been affected, the metals they take in will poison them.

People can also be harmed by the effects of acid rain by breathing it in, causing chest illness. Once the acid rain is in your lungs, it acts like a poison, causing the airways in the