Acid+Rain+Files

=Acid rain is caused by pollution in the air. Acid rain can: =
 * Take away nutrients from soil causing animals that eat this to die. It also kills larger animals who eat these smaller ones.
 * Make water too acidic causing fish to die or prevent them from reproducing
 * Cause water plants to have stunted growth and eventually die

=pH testing: =
 * You can use a pH test to see if the river is acidic or basic. An acid has a 0-6 pH and a base has an 8-14 on the pH scale. A seven in the pH scale is neutral. This means it is neither an acid or a base.
 * Some organisms can only live in a certain range. For example, bacteria can live in a pH range of 2-13

=**Grey Area pH results: **=
 * __Grey Bay__ 5-6 this means bacteria, carp, suckers, catfish, some insects, bass, bluegill, and crappie can live there
 * __the Fo River, James Pond, and the two Misstersippis__ all had a pH of about 6-8. Many things can live in these ecosystems. Bacteria, plants, carp, suckers, catfish, some insects, bass, bluegills, crappie, snails, clams, mussels, trout, mayfly nymphs, stonefly nymphs, and caddisfly larvae are all able to live in these waters.
 * __The Upper Rafta, Lower Rafta, and Lake Adaysicle__ all had a pH of 3-4. The only thing that can live here is bacteria.

=If acid rain is in the air, then why aren't all the pH readings the same? = = = =What is causing the acid rain in the Grey Area? =
 * One newspaper article from a “concerned citizen” was sent to the editor and published. The citizen said that pollution cannot be killing the fish because the Rafta rivers are clear but the Misstersippis and the Fo River are not.
 * This is because the geography of their areas are different.
 * Surrounding the Fo and the Misstersippis are soil and rocks mostly consisting of limestone. Limestone and clay are both buffers that can neutralize acids. This is most likely why these rivers have such a low pH. The limestone, however also allows a lot of sediment.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.67px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Rafta rivers(which are connected by Lake Adaysicle) are surrounded by granite rock. Granite does not neutralize acids but is a harder rock that doesn’t give off much sediment.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.67px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you look on the map, you will see that the rivers on the left are the ones with limestone, and the ones on the right, are the ones surrounded in granite. Grey Bay, which both these sides flow into, has a pH right in the middle of the other two because both of them flow into it.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.67px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The EPA said that Grey Area’s air is severe. The analysis shows that 88% of the acid rain has a high level of nitric acid and 12% has a high level of sulfiric acid.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.67px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nitric acid comes mostly from cars and trucks(42%) but is followed by electric utilities(32%) and finally, other(26%0).
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.67px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sulfuric acid comes mainly from electric utilities (77%), then factories(14%) and other(9%).

= How can the acid rain problem be fixed? =

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Factories have thought that by creating taller smokestacks, it would get rid of the problem but it only causes the pollutants to blow further away and become a problem for others. Factories instead, can put scrubbers on their smokestacks. Scrubbers can clean the smoke so they let fewer chemicals into the air. They are expensive, but very effective. Buffers can also be used to neutralize acidic water. They are expensive, too and only work for a little while. ====== = = =<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.67px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Who is being blammed for the acid rain problem? =

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.67px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> LaToya factorie is the main suspect being blamed. Her factory releases pollutants at night and only white smoke in the day. She says it is not a plot and that is just how the factory’s schedule works. She also talks about how scrubbers cost too much. Although she seems very guilty, her company did receive an award from the Clean Water Association because they have reduced water pollutants by 11%. ====== ==