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Acid Rain Kills


The reason being that "Acid rain flows to streams, lakes, and marshes after falling on forests, fields, buildings, and roads"(EPA). Then while flowing to streams, lakes, and marshes acid rain releases aluminum, which is highly toxic to many species of aquatic organisms, into the water ways. This raises the acidic level of lakes and streams. .
             According to Environmental Issues "Most lakes and streams have a ph between 6 and 8." Which a raise in acidic level would actually lower the ph, therefore, lakes that then drop below the normal amount began to show signs of dying. At ph 6 basic forms of food die off, at ph 5.5 fish cannot reproduce, and begin to die off, and below ph 5 fish populations die off. .
             This increase in acid in the waters affects waters in two ways: directly and indirectly. "Acid molecules in the water cause mucus to form in their (fishes) gills and this prevents the fish to absorb oxygen as well. If the build up of mucus increases, the fish would suffocate"(Effect). Then also it affects fish indirectly by releasing heavy metals from the ground into waters. .
             Acid rain has been around for awhile now, but the most dramatic reports of acid rain damages came in the early 70's in Ontario lakes. "Dead fish were washing up along the beaches, and the term "wet desert" was being used to describe the clear, blue, fishless lakes"(Effects). This is an example of what acid rain does to affect lakes. And according to Effects of Acid Rain on Aquatic Ecosystems:.
             Ontario now has over 100 fishless acidified lakes. Species such as lake trout, wall-eye, burbot and smallmouth bass have disappeared from most of these lakes. Starting in 1981, 202 lakes were monitored in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces, and in 1994, 33% showed some improvement in acidity while 11% were worse. The remaining 56% had stable acidity levels.(Effects).
             Other organisms are affected by acidic water also. Such as growth stunts in frogs, toads, and salamanders.


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