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Essay Archive - ACID RAIN
ACID RAIN
When fossil fuels such as coal, gasoline, and fuel oils are burned, they emit
oxides of sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen into the air. These oxides combine with
moisture in the air to form sulfuric acid, carbonic acid, and nitric acid. When
it rains or snows, these acids are brought to Earth in what is called acid rain.
During the course of the 20th century, the acidity of the air and acid rain
have come to be recognized as a leading threat to the stability and quality of
the Earth's environment. Most of this acidity is produced in the industrialized
nations ....
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