Question

How can acid rain affect aquatic life ?

Answer 1

Hint: Acid rain consists of acidic components that come down with precipitation. These may mix in water bodies like rivers and lakes and thus leading to decrease in its pH. The decrease in pH will result in bad effects to the life of fishes and other aquatic animals.


Complete step by step answer:
First, let us understand what acid rain is and what its compositions are.
The acid rain may be defined as the precipitation that consists of acidic components. These acidic components are usually sulphuric acid, nitric acid and some oxides of carbon.
The acid rain has a very harmful effect on living beings and even on non living material.
The aquatic life is affected badly due to acid rain. It has harmful effects on fishes and other aquatic animals. Many adult species may survive in acidic environment but the younger ones are very sensitive to environmental conditions. The fishes’ eggs require optimum temperature and pH to hatch. With the mixing of acidic constituents, the pH of the water decreases and at pH below 5, the eggs are difficult to hatch.
Further, the acid rain contains nitric acid which has nitrogen. The incorporation of nitrogen in water results in nitrogen pollution. This may result in a decrease in population of fishes and other small aquatic animals.
When the acid rain water flows in the water bodies through soil. The aluminium is released from the soil in the water in lakes and rivers. With decrease in pH of a water body, the levels of aluminium increases. This combination of decrease of pH and increase of aluminium level is toxic to the fishes and aquatic animals. This may decrease the number of individuals in a species which will lead to its extinction after some years.
Thus, the acid rain has a life threatening effect on aquatic life.

Note:The aquatic life includes all those organisms living in the water bodies, may it be a small pond, lake, river or a large ocean. All the organisms living are included in aquatic life. Many of the large organisms can thrive in acidic conditions while the small creatures find it difficult to survive. However, there are organisms which can live in acidic environments but not all.