Question

Read the information below and answer the questions:

A newspaper headline reads “Acid Precipitation Not a Threat.” The article states that the city’s air pollution control board has been monitoring sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides in the air and recording the pH of precipitation for the past five years. Air samples have been collected daily at two sites: at the busiest downtown intersection and at the entrance to a privately owned electrical power–generating station. On most days, the power station is downwind from the downtown area. Over the period studied, sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides have increased at both sites, with the power station always having higher levels than the downtown site. However, at no time in the past five years have any of the pollutant levels exceeded the nationally acceptable standards. Moreover, the pH of precipitation has remained essentially the same (slightly acidic) at both monitoring sites throughout the period. City officials have concluded that there is no immediate reason for alarm, that acid precipitation has not been a problem, but that monitoring should continue. The news article, however, goes on to point out that not everyone agrees with the city officials. One resident living 10 miles outside the city is quoted: “The trees on our streets and in our yards are dying from acid precipitation. Five years ago, all our trees were healthy, but we’ve lost a dozen in this neighborhood in the past two years. We’re directly downwind from that power plant, and I know acid rain killed my trees. My neighbors and I are going to sue the power company for losses.

1. ” Do you think these residents have the scientific evidence needed to win their lawsuit? Why or why not?

2.Would they have a clear-cut case if a monitoring site had been set up in their neighborhood and data collected there showed an increase in acid precipitation during the five-year period?

3. If the residents hired you as a scientific consultant, what advice would you give them?

Answer 1

Ans 1) The acid rain tends to damage the trees and they die due to the impact of it. One of the best ways to identify that the trees are damaged due to acid rain is to check if the trees are growing or they end up dying after getting damaged. In order to gain scientific evidence about the same, the soil around the area needs to be checked and sampled. The acid rain tends to leach aluminum into the soil and this leads to depletion of all the nutrients. It removes all the minerals from the soil that is essential for the growth of the plants. This leads to the death. By running the lab test on the amount of aluminum it can be determined if acid rain is the reason of the death of the plants.

Ans 2) Yes, if a monitoring site is set up nearby and the data is collected periodically at regular interval, it will give clear information about the level of acid rain precipitation. With the monitoring site set up, it will help them identify if there is an increase in the acid rain depending on the increase in the level of toxic substance and aluminum leaching in the soil along with the depletion of the nutrients from the soil. The monitoring will be done to identify if the level of toxic substances has increased or increased.

Ans 3) As a scientific consultant, the best advice would be to add more manure and organic nutrients to the area so that the nutrition is not depleted. Apart from that some plants can be cultivated which has the ability to absorb aluminum along with growing of more trees in the area. There must be installation of machinery which is able to remove the level of acid rain in the area.