These 8 countries that produce the most acid rain in the world should really think about the environment they will leave for the generations to come. Acid rains are very dangerous and they have long-term consequences for humans and wildlife.
It is thought that the acid rain dates back to the end of 19th century. Although it is commonly known as “acid rain”, this title refers to fog, snow, sleet and rain that contain acid in higher amounts than normal. The main causes of acid rains are chemical compounds sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. These two chemical compounds can be produced by nature (lightning, volcano eruptions) but they are mostly caused by human activity such as electricity generation, factories (iron and steel production), utility plants and motor vehicles.
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide react with water molecules in the air, thus creating acid rain. There are some cases when these chemical compounds end up in a dry area. In this case, they get mixed with the dust and fall to the ground. Although they are not a dangerous as acid rain, they still affect the environment.
One of the major issues is the fact that sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are not immediately converted into acid rain. They can sometimes travel for hundreds or thousands miles before reacting with water and causing acid rain. This is why the pollution in one country can lead to acid rain in another country. For example, the acid rain in Sweden and Scandinavia is caused by the air pollution in Great Britain. Also, Canada’s acid rain isn’t caused by its air pollution, but by air pollution coming from the United States of America.
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Acid rain can affect everything, from humans to buildings, trees, and wildlife. According to Monica Butnariu and Ionel Samfira in their “Consequences of Acid Rain”, “acid rain can cause direct consequences to humans, including respiratory problems, headache and eye irritation. The indirect consequences are the consummation of fruits, vegetables, and meat that contains mercury released by acid rain and absorbed by vegetation and animals.” When it falls onto the ground, acid rain removes the nutrients in soil and releases toxic elements like aluminum that is absorbed into the vegetation through roots. (Speaking of aluminum, don’t forget to check our article on 8 countries that produce the most aluminum in the world.)
Acid rains especially have a disastrous effect on aquatic life in lakes, rivers, and streams. It changes the ecosystem by bringing aluminum to the water, affecting the aquatic life like fishes. It endangers reproduction and contaminates the fish that can be dangerous for humans to eat. The effects of acid rains can also be seen in the oceans when the rivers flow in bringing toxic elements.
Currently, there are no data that show how much acid rain is produced by each country, so for our list of 8 countries that produce the most acid rain in the world, we had to take a different approach. Since the majority of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide is released by motor vehicles, factories, and power plants, we started from there. We took a list from WHO (World Health Organization) that shows the number of registered vehicles per country, which can be an excellent indicator of the number of motor vehicles operating in the particular country. We also checked the countries that produce the most iron (data provided by U.S. Geological Survey) and steel (data provided by World Steel), since these production processes also contribute greatly to acid rains. Finally, we took the countries that have the most nuclear power plants (data provided by Euro Nuclear) and the most coal consumption (data provided by U.S. Energy Information Administration). From each of these lists, we took top 10 ranked countries and assigned them with points from 1 to 10. After we had summed up the scores into our Acid Rain Score, we obtained a clear picture about the biggest acid rain producers in the world. Let’s check them out!
8. South Korea
Acid Rain Score: 12
The rapid industrialization of South Korea led to the situation that this country now has a serious problem with air pollution. South Korea is a ranked 6th country in the world when it comes to steel production and 5th when it comes to the number of nuclear power plants. The fact that in 2014, the country experienced episodes of acid snow shows just how serious South Korea’s problem with air pollution is.
7. Germany
Acid Rain Score: 14
Germany is the only European country on our list of countries that produce the most acid rain in the world, and its acid rain production comes from being a major steel producer and coal consumer. Acid rain in Germany caused massive damage to the soil and vegetation, especially in the 80’s, with the consequences being visible even now. Germany is trying to make the soil healthier using limestone, but this tactic is still to prove its effectiveness.
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6. Brazil
Acid Rain Score: 15
Being the world 3rd producer of iron and 9th producer of steel, combined with a lot of car gas emissions, are all the facts that made Brazil the largest acid rain producer in the South America. The effects of acid rain can be seen in the major metropolitan areas, but also in the neighboring countries like Uruguay. In 1996 Uruguay even protested that air pollution from Brazil is causing acid rains in Uruguay and damaging the crops, wildlife, and people’s health.
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5. Japan
Acid Rain Score: 27
You have probably seen the pictures of Japanese people wearing surgical masks to prevent the negative effects of air pollution. This is because Japan, the next country on our list of countries that produce the most acid rain in the world, has a long history of air pollution and acid rains date back to 1970’s. At one point country was spending 8% of GDP to fight with this and Japan has one of the strictest laws in the world when it comes to air pollution. The Japanese environmental activists are arguing that the half of acid rains that occur in Japan is caused by China. China is surely responsible for the portion of air pollution and acid rains in Japan, but Japan’s steel production (ranked 2nd in the world) and utility plants combined with car gas emissions are equal if not more to blame.
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4. Russia
Acid Rain Score: 27
The best example of why Russia is featured on our list of 8 countries that produce the most acid rain in the world is the city of Norilsk. It is labeled as one of the most polluted cities in the world and is home to “numerous coal-burning copper, cobalt, and nickel smelters”. The amount of pollution is stunning. Over 91% of all polluters that are released in this town are sulfur dioxide, one of two major causes of acid rain. All around the city, the trees and vegetation are dying due to pollution and acid rains. Of course, Norilsk isn’t the only one to blame since all across Russia there are industrial cities that contaminate the air.
3. India
Acid Rain Score: 34
India is among the top-ranked countries on all of the lists we used to make this ranking. The country ranks 3rd on our list of countries that produce the most acid rain in the world. It is producing large amounts of iron and steel, but the bigger problem is relying on coal and fossil fuels. Also, when it comes to the number of motor vehicles operating in the country, India is ranked 3rd in the world. The best example of India’s massive air pollution is the city of Chandrapur where 12 coal-fired power stations are located. In this city, 70% of children are reported to have asthma, which is a disturbing fact by itself. Although the acid rains are not a major problem in India so far, India’s air pollution is a major factor for acid rain occurrence all across Asia.
2. The United States of America
Acid Rain Score: 40
We already talked in the intro about the United States of America producing acid rain in Canada. Now we will tell you how. The United States of America which ranks second on our list of countries that produce the most acid rain in the world, is a country that has the most registered cars in the world, with the number standing at 265 million. Also, the country has the biggest number of nuclear power plants, and it is ranked second in the coal consumption. The Northeastern United States has the biggest concentration of acid rains with Little Echo Pond in Franklin, N.Y. being one of the most acidic lakes.
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1. China
Acid Rain Score: 45
China is officially the biggest air polluter in the world and the sole ruler of our list of 8 countries that produce the most acid rain in the world. Thanks to the rapid industrialization, China is also the biggest iron and steel producer in the world and the number one country when it comes to coal consumption. According to the reports dating from 2011, 258 of China’s towns are affected by acid rains. The government is showing a lack of care and is still to take effective measures in reducing this huge problem. China doesn’t just produce acid rains on its own territory, but all across Asia; its reckless air pollution could not just have terrible consequences on the water and vegetation there, but also in the neighboring countries and further.
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