In our houses, we use countless cleaning supplies to make our home feel and look as clean as possible. From Baygon, for killing insects, and to Pledge, for removing dusts. We use these items daily in our houses without regard to their possible adverse effects not only to ourselves but also to the environment and one of the household products that has adverse effects to our environment would be the “magical” cleaning material, Bleach.
Bleach, also known as Sodium Hypochlorite, is a household product with a chemical equation of NaOCl + H2O -> HOCl + NaOH. This household product has large-scale uses since it not only removes stains and dirt, but it also disinfects surfaces, and it keeps the Ph in certain areas levelled.
But how exactly is bleach created? Bleach is made when a direct electrical current is sent through a sodium chloride solution creating the split of atoms leaving chlorine and caustic soda or lye. Individually, these two chemicals are already extremely dangerous. These two chemicals then reacted together to create bleach or sodium hypochlorite.
In the reaction given above, bleach produces a gas or fume which is not just hazardous for the environment but for also us humans. Based on an article from the website, LiveStrong, bleach has three main effects on the environment. First, it has adverse effects on our water systems. For when it is released to our water systems, chlorine reacts with different minerals in the water forming dangerous toxins. Second, it has massive impact on wildlife populations. For the by-products of bleach is persistent and the toxic materials would just accumulate over time in soil and water thus letting organisms consume affected resources which would affect the whole food chain. Finally, it greatly affects our air. For bleach produces fumes that contribute to air pollution, of which is one of the causes of acid rain.
With that said, bleach affects acid rain by contributing to the creation of air pollution that then reacts with the water in the atmosphere in therefore creating acid rain, which has a lot of negative effects to our environment.
Acid rain, particularly, affects aquatic life because it increases the pH level in our water systems wherein aquatic animals grow thus creating an environment that is toxic for our aquatic organisms. Acid rain, also, according to Marshall Cavendish Education Chemistry Matters 2nd Edition, eats away marble and limestone. An example of this was when the Statue of Liberty became badly corroded, due to its exposure to acid rain, which then caused the American Government in 1983 to launch a campaign to restore this figure. Other than that, acid rain also affects the growth of plants since it causes the release of substances that are toxic to trees and other plants, such as aluminium, into the soil and it also dissolves the nutrients and helpful minerals within the soil and then washes them away before trees and other plants can use them to grow.
Frequent exposure and occurrence of acid rain would only worsen the scenarios stated above and unfortunately chances of acid rain does get higher every time La Niña, a phenomenon wherein the Trade Winds are stronger and thus creates a cooler than average temperature which results in an increase in rainfall, occurs since increase in chances rainfall means increase in chances of acid rain precipitation which means worsening of acid rain’s adverse effects.
Acid rain of course is not an impossible problem to solve. It can be lessened and even stopped if we were to act on it. There are many ways to limit or reduce the effects of acid rain. First, would be to limit the usage of bleach at home and just increase the usage of alternative cleaning materials such as baking soda and vinegar. Another way would be the usage of catalytic converters, a machine that converts harmful pollutants into harmless substances via redox reactions, and Flue-Gas Desulfurization, a set of technologies that removes sulphur dioxide from the final product of the reaction by reacting the polluted air with the calcium carbonate creating a gas mainly made of carbon dioxide and air, for large scale removal of pollutants which are the main factors of acid rain. Reducing fossil fuel emissions would also highly help in lessening the creation of acid rain.
As the residents of our planet, we have a duty to take care of environment and the other living organisms in it. If we do not take care of it, then we would be the cause of our own destruction. Our planet is already experiencing a lot of problems and negative changes. Acid rain is just one of them. Reducing acid rain is just one of the steps to help our planet and all of us should partake in it.
Bleach, also known as Sodium Hypochlorite, is a household product with a chemical equation of NaOCl + H2O -> HOCl + NaOH. This household product has large-scale uses since it not only removes stains and dirt, but it also disinfects surfaces, and it keeps the Ph in certain areas levelled.
But how exactly is bleach created? Bleach is made when a direct electrical current is sent through a sodium chloride solution creating the split of atoms leaving chlorine and caustic soda or lye. Individually, these two chemicals are already extremely dangerous. These two chemicals then reacted together to create bleach or sodium hypochlorite.
In the reaction given above, bleach produces a gas or fume which is not just hazardous for the environment but for also us humans. Based on an article from the website, LiveStrong, bleach has three main effects on the environment. First, it has adverse effects on our water systems. For when it is released to our water systems, chlorine reacts with different minerals in the water forming dangerous toxins. Second, it has massive impact on wildlife populations. For the by-products of bleach is persistent and the toxic materials would just accumulate over time in soil and water thus letting organisms consume affected resources which would affect the whole food chain. Finally, it greatly affects our air. For bleach produces fumes that contribute to air pollution, of which is one of the causes of acid rain.
With that said, bleach affects acid rain by contributing to the creation of air pollution that then reacts with the water in the atmosphere in therefore creating acid rain, which has a lot of negative effects to our environment.
Acid rain, particularly, affects aquatic life because it increases the pH level in our water systems wherein aquatic animals grow thus creating an environment that is toxic for our aquatic organisms. Acid rain, also, according to Marshall Cavendish Education Chemistry Matters 2nd Edition, eats away marble and limestone. An example of this was when the Statue of Liberty became badly corroded, due to its exposure to acid rain, which then caused the American Government in 1983 to launch a campaign to restore this figure. Other than that, acid rain also affects the growth of plants since it causes the release of substances that are toxic to trees and other plants, such as aluminium, into the soil and it also dissolves the nutrients and helpful minerals within the soil and then washes them away before trees and other plants can use them to grow.
Frequent exposure and occurrence of acid rain would only worsen the scenarios stated above and unfortunately chances of acid rain does get higher every time La Niña, a phenomenon wherein the Trade Winds are stronger and thus creates a cooler than average temperature which results in an increase in rainfall, occurs since increase in chances rainfall means increase in chances of acid rain precipitation which means worsening of acid rain’s adverse effects.
Acid rain of course is not an impossible problem to solve. It can be lessened and even stopped if we were to act on it. There are many ways to limit or reduce the effects of acid rain. First, would be to limit the usage of bleach at home and just increase the usage of alternative cleaning materials such as baking soda and vinegar. Another way would be the usage of catalytic converters, a machine that converts harmful pollutants into harmless substances via redox reactions, and Flue-Gas Desulfurization, a set of technologies that removes sulphur dioxide from the final product of the reaction by reacting the polluted air with the calcium carbonate creating a gas mainly made of carbon dioxide and air, for large scale removal of pollutants which are the main factors of acid rain. Reducing fossil fuel emissions would also highly help in lessening the creation of acid rain.
As the residents of our planet, we have a duty to take care of environment and the other living organisms in it. If we do not take care of it, then we would be the cause of our own destruction. Our planet is already experiencing a lot of problems and negative changes. Acid rain is just one of them. Reducing acid rain is just one of the steps to help our planet and all of us should partake in it.
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