The diagrams show how pollutants from modern life become acid rain and how this process affects the environment and the food chain.
Overall, pollution is produced by four main human activities. These pollutants rise into the atmosphere, mix with clouds, and later fall as acid rain. As a result, the rain damages the natural environment and allows harmful substances to enter the food chain.
First, pollution comes from housing, transport, factories, and power stations. These activities release different gases into the air, including carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and other harmful compounds. After that, these pollutants rise into the atmosphere and collect in clouds, making them polluted.
Next, the polluted clouds are carried by the wind across different countries and continents. Eventually, the pollutants return to the ground in the form of acid rain.
Finally, the acid rain falls on hills, fields, rivers, lakes, trees, and plants. It pollutes both the land and water, which has a negative effect on nature. In the last stage, the harmful substances enter the food chain through plants and water. This means that animals and humans can also be affected by the pollution, even if they live far from where it was first produced.