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From: CJC@PSUVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: net.sci,net.bio
Subject: Re: Acid rain damage query
Message-ID: <5318CJC@PSUVM>
Date: Tue, 29-Apr-86 18:13:36 EDT
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Posted: Tue Apr 29 18:13:36 1986
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>
> Publicity about acid rain indicates that some types of pollution cause
> rainfall to become acidic enough that lakes which collect such rainfall
> eventually themselves turn acidic enough to kill off the natural biota
> and become nearly sterile. How acidic is this? I ask this because of a
> fact mentioned in the recent PBS National Geographic special on the
> Okeefenokee swamp -- the statement was made there that this swamp water
> was "as acid as strong tea". Yet, even though acidic, this area teems
> with life.
     
  I'm sure someone more knowledgable than I could have answered this
question better than I but since I haven't seen any answers...
  I've heard that acid rain can sometimes compare to lemon juice or
vinegar in acidity;  I drink strong tea all day long with no ill effects
(at least none that I've noticed), but I would not drink more than a
few spoonfuls of lemon juice or vinegar.  I understand that the acid in
rain comes in part from sulfur dioxide, and I would not knowingly drink
*any* sulfuric acid, no matter how diluted.  Is it relevant that a very
dilute soultion of hydrochloric acid is used to kill life forms in drinking
water?  I'm interested in the acid rainfall topic and would appreciate
information from those who know, even if it's just the name of a useful
book.
     
                                         --Carolyn J. Clark
     
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