Earth and Sky:Acid Rain 酸雨

Acid Rain 酸雨

Damage from acid rain is widespread - not just in eastern North America, but throughout Europe, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. Is the rain that's falling on your umbrella acidic? A listener's question -- on today's Earth and Sky.

JB: This is Earth and Sky with a question from Sandra Renee of Olive Hill, Kentucky. She asks, "How do you know when it rains that it's not acid rain, and what exactly is acid rain?"

DB: Sandra, you need a pH meter to reliably measure the acidity¹ of rain or snow. But in certain parts of the US -- especially in the Northeast -- you can probably assume that most rain will be at least somewhat acidic. Westerly winds move pollutants² eastward³, so the eastern US gets more acid rain.

JB: Acid rain happens when airborne acids fall down to Earth in rain. Electrical utility plants that burn fossil fuels emit chemicals into the atmosphere that react with water and other chemicals in the air to form sulfuric acid, nitric acid -- the "acid" in acid rain. You don't have to live next door to a plant to get showered by acid rain. These acid pollutants reach high into the atmosphere and can travel with wind currents for hundreds of kilometers.

DB: The acids in acid rain are corrosive⁴ chemicals that leach⁵ nutrients⁶ from the soils, slow the growth of trees, poison lakes and combine with other chemicals to form urban smog. The simplest way to curtail⁷ acid rain is to use less energy from fossil fuels.

JB: Special thanks today to the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation, a private foundation dedicated⁸ to advancing research and education in the chemical sciences. We're Block and Byrd for Earth and Sky.

1 acidity   

n.酸度，酸性

参考例句：

• This plant prefers alkaline soil,though it will readily tolerate some acidity.这种植物在酸性土壤中也能生存，但硷性土壤更加适宜。
• Gastric acidity would not prevent the organism from passing into the gut.胃的酸度不能防止细菌进入肠道。

2 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 eastward   

adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部

参考例句：

• The river here tends eastward.这条河从这里向东流。
• The crowd is heading eastward,believing that they can find gold there.人群正在向东移去，他们认为在那里可以找到黄金。

4 corrosive   

adj.腐蚀性的；有害的；恶毒的

参考例句：

• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。
• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。

5 leach   

v.分离，过滤掉；n.过滤；过滤器

参考例句：

• Liquid water can leach soluble materials from the interface.液态水能够从界面溶解出可溶性物质。
• They believe that the humic materials are leached from decaying plant materials.他们认为腐植物料是从腐烂的植物体浸沥而来。

6 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 curtail   

vt.截短，缩短；削减

参考例句：

• The government hopes to curtail public spending.政府希望缩减公共事业开支。
• The minister had to curtail his visit.部长不得不缩短访问日期。

8 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。