Air Pollution Effects on Soil
Air pollution has a much wider effect than simply impairing human health. Nitrogen- and sulfur-based gases can also negatively affect plants and trees by lowering the availability to nutrients in the soil. Does this Spark an idea?
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Chemical Buildup
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Damaged forests have been shown to contain higher levels of ammonia than the soils of healthy forests, according to a University of Bayreuth (Germany) study published in Science magazine in 1989. Additionally, the presence of nutrients like magnesium and calcium are lower in damaged forests.
Effect on Forests
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The University of Bayreuth study revealed that sulfates and nitrates in the soil can lead to acidification. Changes in the soil chemistry will affect root development, along with water and nutrient feeding.
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Acid Rain
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Acid rain, a result of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, can cause serious damage to soils by denaturing (changing the character of) certain enzymes so that they can no longer function. Acid rain can reduce important nutrients and minerals in the soil and cause the release of aluminum.
Acid Rain Program
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The U.S. Congress created the Acid Rain Program in 1990 to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions and benefit both environmental and public health. The program created a marketplace where industries can trade emission allowances, but total emissions are limited 8.95 million tons annually by power plants.
Possible Solutions
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To reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide emitted by power plants, a Minnesota State University report suggested that they switch to "low-sulfur" coal. Two methods of lowering the sulfur content in coal are coal cleaning and coal scrubbing.
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References
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Thomas
