A role for decaying leaves in mitigating the harmful effects of acid rain

Abstract

Harmful effects of acid rain have been considered a serious problem. In this paper we have studied the ability of several common types of leaves to mitigate the effect of acid rain via the ability of these leaves to act as buffers in water.

The pH of leaf suspensions of cypress, pine, oak, cinchona and ficus leaves has been determined and its variation with time has been followed. The buffer capacities for these leaf suspensions have also been determined at several times over a long period of time. The effect of dilution on this buffer capacity has been studied. The speeds at which the various leaf suspensions adjust their pH value when disturbed have been studied.

The capability of the various leaves studied here to act as a buffer can be arranged in the order:

Ficus > cypress ~ cinchona > pine ~ oak.

Key words:

• Acid rain
• decaying leaves
• pH
• buffer capacity
• cypress
• pine
• cinchona
• oak
• ficus.