Acid Rain & Culture
Acid rain does not only affect our environment negatively, but there is also a connection between acid rain and culture. The fall of acid rain is harming and wearing down historical buildings and monuments in different parts of the world. Acid rain is extremely corrosive and can easily affect man-made materials. Acid rain is capable of destroying stone, metal, paint and other man made materials. Many buildings and monuments are made out of limestone and marble, which both contain calcium carbonate, which dissolves in acid. Since acid rain contains sulfuric and nitric acid, the limestone and marble dissolve, which makes acid rain corrosive.
CaCO3 (s) + 2 H+(aq) -----> Ca2+(aq) + CO2 (g) + H2 O(l)
Acid rain can reduce the the value of the monument or building, the quality, but also the appearance, how it looks from outside. Acid rain can roughen the surfaces, remove material from the buildings and monuments and cause a loss of carved detail. Some of these destroyed and affected buildings or statues are irreplaceable and cause high costs when destructed by acid rain. Through acid rain, many monuments and buildings, that were once part of our culture, are affected to different extents. Ancient monuments and buildings are most vulnerable to acid rain and are affected more than modern buildings. Many famous historical structures have been affected by acid rain, for example, the Taj Mahal, Notre Dame, the Colosseum, the Cologne Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, The only way to reduce the affects that acid rain has on the culture would be reducing the amount of acid rain in general by reducing the amount of pollution of power plants. Statues can also be preserved by placing them inside in a sheltered area so that it does not come into contact with acid rain anymore. The sculptures below were all exposed to acid rain and were deformed and are lacking detail due to the acid rain.
CaCO3 (s) + 2 H+(aq) -----> Ca2+(aq) + CO2 (g) + H2 O(l)
Acid rain can reduce the the value of the monument or building, the quality, but also the appearance, how it looks from outside. Acid rain can roughen the surfaces, remove material from the buildings and monuments and cause a loss of carved detail. Some of these destroyed and affected buildings or statues are irreplaceable and cause high costs when destructed by acid rain. Through acid rain, many monuments and buildings, that were once part of our culture, are affected to different extents. Ancient monuments and buildings are most vulnerable to acid rain and are affected more than modern buildings. Many famous historical structures have been affected by acid rain, for example, the Taj Mahal, Notre Dame, the Colosseum, the Cologne Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, The only way to reduce the affects that acid rain has on the culture would be reducing the amount of acid rain in general by reducing the amount of pollution of power plants. Statues can also be preserved by placing them inside in a sheltered area so that it does not come into contact with acid rain anymore. The sculptures below were all exposed to acid rain and were deformed and are lacking detail due to the acid rain.