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Acid rain affects Prairie Provinces in Canada
15/Sep/2006: A new study carried out by the Trent University, for the Canadian Council of Ministers of Education, has found that two of the three prairie provinces in Canada, Manitoba & Saskatchewan, are affected by acid rains, which has been a major concern only in industrialized central Canada till now.
Analyzing data starting from the 1990’s, a team of researchers from the Trent University found that the soil in some areas of the prairies in this region, contained high levels of acid.
Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, undergo chemical transformation and get absorbed by water droplets in clouds, falling to earth as acid rain. At times the droplets fall to earth as snow or hail.
Two percent of the soil studied in Saskatchewan, contained acid levels above the accepted limits, posing a serious threat to the environment. In Manitoba, seven percent of the soil studied contained acid levels above the so-called ‘Critical Load’. The acid levels found in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, were comparatively low than the acid levels found in central Canada.
Elaine Hughes, a self-described environmentalist believes that the acid rains falling in the north of Saskatchewan is caused by the oil sands in Alberta (the third prairie province in Canada) and wants the authorities in the region to push for stopping oil sand developments in Alberta and punish the polluters.
Acid rains can destroy forests by slowing their growth rate and killing the leaves of plants. They also kill the microbes in the soil, affecting soil processes like decomposition of organic wastes and recycling of nutrients.
Chandra Sekhar
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