hat Nalco is the maker of such products, many have sewed it because Corexit9500A allegedly caused many health injuries and health problems(“BP Oil”). In fact, the products were said to be banned from the United Kingdom in 1998. The Environmental Protection Agency issued that BP use a more effective and environmentally friendly product but did not willingly yield to such wishes although it did slow down its utilization of these products(“Gulf Disaster”).
Lets wait and see .
There is not much known about the Corexit due to the little information given therefore, no statements about the dispersants used by BP can be corroborated as true, but there is still research to be done and more to be found out the about these dispersants in the Gulf. The results were tragic and affected many,even those of different species. There would be no use for dispersant had the oil not been spilled and leaked into the Gulf. One can only hope that such an event does not happen again.
What Do You Know About Rain?
Rain is helpful in an infinite number of ways, from supporting plant life to being an important factor in the everyday life of a variety of organisms. However, not all rain is as beneficial as you might think. Some precipitation can be harmful to the environment and structures that are vital for living, and an example of this is acid rain.
What is Acid Rain and Where Does It Come From?
Acid rain can be not only harmful to the environment but also to buildings, statues, and other structures that inhabit our everyday life. Acid rain is an amalgamation of surplus amounts of nitric/sulfuric acids, oxygen, water, pollutants, and innate acidic molecules as a result of volcanoes and decomposing plant life. These potentially harmful acids have either blended into precipitation, also known as wet deposition, or infused with smoke and dust, also known as dry deposition, and is able to contaminate the Earth in these forms (Nachi). The chemicals carried in the dust or precipitation can be very harmful to certain wildlife and plant life, as well as buildings and statues.
The high amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids are caused through a variety of things. The EPA states that, in the U.S. atmosphere, nearly two-thirds of sulfuric acid and about one-fourth of nitric acid production are the outcome of the burning of fossil fuels, a majority of which is coals. Another contributing factor are the gasoline-relying automobiles and tools of agriculture which give off the chemicals that make up acid rain (Nachi).
How Does This Affect the Surfaces Around Us?
Precipitation alone can erode buildings and statues, but the process is slow. Meanwhile, acid rain speeds up this process and the stone deteriorates. This process is known as dissolution and is one way stone is affected by acid rain (Pubs). Acid rain has a particular effect on certain types of metals and stone, which harms them and possibly destroys the material (HowStuffWorks). Even some of the sturdiest types of stone, including marble, and limestone, can wear down completely when exposed to acid rain, can easily be ruined (Acid Rain). This is because the calcite present in limestone or marble reacts with the pollutants and acids in acid rain and dissolves, which is why buildings and statues made of limestone or marble are ruined very easily and faster than other materials and stone (Watson).
Aged monuments and statues may also be seen as worn down and patchy because of acid erosion and the way it deteriorates the metal or stone (HowStuffWorks). However, “how big of a threat [acid rain] is can be determined by the chemical makeup and interactions of a building's materials. Limestone and marble...are composed of calcite, or calcium carbonate, which acidic chemicals can dissolve easily” (Nachi). Although the stone or structure will be eroded all around, the material will most likely not be eroded the same on all sides, because different areas of the material may be more in contact with acid rain. Acid rain can also negatively affect pipes, cables, automobiles, along with statues and buildings (NSCU), therefore stone and metals are not the only materials that could be ruined if acid rain is present.
How Else Can Buildings and Statues Be Harmed?
But what if certain areas of the statue or building cannot be directly touched by acid rain? If there is acid rain present around the stone or metal, but not directly in contact with one it, alteration occurs. Alteration is another outcome of acid rain where the stone will change color, and gypsum is formed (Pubs). Gypsum, a mineral that forms as a result of the sulfuric acid, water, and calcite reaction, creates a black rusty layer on carbonate stone exteriors when the carbonate stone is in the presence of SO2, also known as sulfur dioxide gas. However, it is soluble to water, therefore when not directly exposed to the acid rain it remains on the surface of the building or statue and is left on the surface, until soon it peels off and leaves only deteriorated mater (Pubs). While gypsum is seen as black, it is actually white, “...but the crystals form networks that trap particles of dirt and pollutants, so the crust looks black” (Pubs).
What Can We Do to Help?
The main cause of acid rain is pollution and the burning of fossil fuels, therefore reducing the amount of chemicals that occupy the atmosphere will aid to reduce air pollution along with acid rain. There are many programs and groups acting to limit the emissions released by power plants and reduce the chemicals that enter the air (HowStuffWorks). Also, “cars are now fitted with catalytic converters which remove three dangerous chemicals from exhaust gases” (NCSU), resulting in less NOx exhaust and reducing air pollution. Finding alternate sources of energy is also plays a key role in reducing air pollution. Switching to renewable, environmentally-friendly energy sources, such as nuclear and hydroelectric power, would reduce a significant amount of pollution that enters the atmosphere, unlike the burning of nonrenewable sources, such as coal and other fossil fuels, which give off harmful chemicals and is a large component of pollution and acid rain. Factories have also taken a turn to use low sulfur coal, which emits less harmful chemicals into the air, along with low NOx burners, resulting in less NOx output (HowStuffWorks), which will surely cause less acidic rain, and less harm to the environment we currently live in.
Acid Rain and Its Effect on Buildings
By: Jana Hiji
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