Acid Rain
and Pollution Sharmeen
Moinuddin
Acid rain is a form of precipitation that is acidic in
nature and results from the excessive burning of fossil fuels. It is formed
when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide react with water, oxygen, and oxidants
in the atmosphere to form a variety of acidic compounds. Nitric acid and
nitrous acid are both formed by reacting nitrogen dioxide with water as shown
in this chemical formula: 2NO2(l) + H2O(l) = HNO2(aq) + HNO3(aq). Sulfuric acid
and nitric acid are the main acids present in acid rain. Sulfur usually comes
from volcanoes and power stations which are the producers of electricity,
whereas nitrogen oxides come from cars and truck exhausts. Acid rain has huge
impacts on both the natural and man-made environments. There are many negative
effects of acid rain on forests, water life, human health, and even buildings. A
number of steps are being taken to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide and
sulfur being released into the air. Energy conservation is necessary in order
for this to happen. Government agencies and scientists are taking actions to
stop acid rain such as by founding new programs that limit the amount of sulfur
dioxide that power plants can release into the air. Car manufactures are also
being required to decrease the amount of nitrogen oxides and other pollutants
given off by creating new eco- friendly cars. We can also help conserve energy
by turning off all electrical apparatus when not in use, buying eco- friendly
equipment, limiting the use air conditioning, carpooling, etc.
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Acid Rain Pollution
Yaman Mahairi
Acid rain is one of the types of precipitation that is acidic,
which contains situated levels of hydrogen ions, or in other words, low ph. Acid rain is a threat
to plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is the result of the productions
of NO (nitrogen oxide) and SO2,
that combine with the H2O molecules in the air to produce acids. NO2 can also be produced
by lightning while SO2 is produced by the eruption of volcanoes. The substances
such as chemicals in acid rain can affect the infrastructure of a city by
causing paint to tear, damaging of steel structures such as highways, destruction
of stone buildings, and many more. The major gas that leads to acid rain
formation is SO2, or sulfur dioxide. The most principle cause of acid rain is
human activity such as factories and motor vehicles. Almost half of the world’s
population use vehicles as transportation which can give a good rate for acid
rain to form. Some factories use coal as their contributor to gaseous
pollutions which is responsible for acid rain formation. The gases formed from
these coals can be carried by the air, thousands of kilometers, and then
converted back to acids and rained down upon. Long ago, factories contained short
funnels that released smoke out which caused local problems. Now factories have
longer smoke funnels. However, this also poses a threat because pollutants can
be carried farther, which causes a huge ecological damage. There is much
chemistry involved in acid rain formation. Fuels produce nitric oxides and SO2
which are converted into nitric and sulfuric acids. For example, in the gas
phase, SO2 is oxidized by reacting with hydroxyl to form the reaction: SO2+ OH >>HOSO2
which is then followed by HOSO2+ O2 >> HO2+SO3. However, in the presence
of water, SO3 is converted then to sulfuric acid: SO3 (g) + H2O (l) >>
H2SO4 (aq). And nitrogen dioxide reacts with hydroxide to form nitric acid: NO2
(g) + OH (g) >> HNO3 (aq). This equation explains the gas phase process
for acid rain in which sulfur and nitrogen dioxides form into acids. Acid rain
has a harsh impact on the environment and society. Acid rain can destroy rain
forests by killing tress, killing aquatic-life such as fishes, and causing
damage to buildings. Acid rain can also affect the soil because of its low ph. The
ph can harm the soil in which causes the plants to not grow. More than 50% of
water streams are acidic. Acid rain does
not affect human health directly. However, the adverse effects from the air
cause from acid rain can cause lung problems such as asthma. Nowadays, to stop
acid rain from formation, many factories use flue-gas desulfurization, or FGD,
to separate sulfur gases from other gases being formed. Governments have also
made efforts to release a small amount of SO2 in the atmosphere with positive
results. Many factories have started doing this process. However, acid rain
still forms because of the problems of motor vehicles in which people need them
to travel from one place to another.
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ReplyDeleteAcid rain is a major environmental problem that results when sulfur dioxide/nitrogen oxide and oxidants in the atmosphere undergo reaction. Both students gave a detailed insight on the productivity of acid rain, but due to the word limit, were only able to touch a little on how it affects the environment. In both entries it was mentioned that acid rain can kill trees but how? Acids take away important minerals from the leaves and the soil within a forest. A shortage in essential vitamins leads to a weak unhealthy tree.
ReplyDeleteAcid Rain is solely based on the amount of pollution in an area. This is why nations without pollution restrictions, like Eastern Europe,China,and the Soviet Union, acid rain levels are generally higher than areas with pollution restrictions.
As the previous writers have stated that nitric acid and nitrous acid are mainly created due to cars and truck exhausts. America has relatively less acid rain due to its pollution restrictions. According to NDTV, "China, the world's largest consumer of coal, is paying a heavy price for its rapid development, with 258 of its cities experiencing acid rains due to excessive emission of sulphur dioxide, causing health hazards and damage to buildings and scenic spots, according to official statistics." As we can see acid rain is quickly developing. We must stop it in its tracks, by being more aware of the types of cars we buy.
ReplyDeleteAcid rain has perverse effects upon plants, humans, and building. The two main compounds of acid rain, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide are emitted into the air from erupting volcanoes and exhausts of motor vehicles. I agree that when buying a car, traditional gas-powered vehicles are more likely bring to harm the environment, hybrid and electric cars should be a first option.
ReplyDelete