Acid rain: what is it and how does it effect us?

You might not know what acid rain is, but you see it every time bad weather occurs. Acid rain comes in many forms such as; acid snow, acid fog, acid gas and acid dust, along with acid rain ("What is Acid Rain and What Causes It"). All lakes and streams in the world are normally slightly acidic, which means that have been harmed by acid rain at some point in time. All rain water contains some level of acidity. Normal rain water has a pH level of about 5.6. The pH stands for the level of hydrogen in the substance. If the pH is below 7, that means that it is an acid. The higher the number, the weaker the acid. If rain water gets below a pH level of 4.5, most if not all fish will die. When the pH reaches 5.5, all bacteria and animals that eat the remains of other animals will begin to die. If this food is left in the bottom of fish habitats, it will pollute the water, causing the fish to die. Scientists say that acid rain is killing the coating of leaves on trees, killing trees. Acid rain also harms the soil of plants by taking most of the valuable nutrients out of it. Acid rain contains metals such as, lead, zinc, cooper, cronium and aluminum. These metals are released from factories in the form of air pollution. These harmful toxins often ends up in water. When water is evaporated to make rain clouds, only the water is taken, leaving behind the harmful toxins. When rain falls, it mixes with these gases in the atmosphere. Acid rain also causes health problems. The most common health problem from acid rain is trouble with breathing. Each year it is estimated that 1,520 emergency room visits occur due to illness caused by acid rain ("Acid Rain"). Acid rain can also damage building materials and paints. That is why companies are working hard to save irreplaceable statues, monuments and buildings before they are destroyed ("Effects of Acid Rain").
Most countries governments are enforcing the laws that are in place to get the factories to release less pollutions.This would help so that acid rain would be less of a problem in the future.