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The acid rain problem vividly demonstrates the need for new approaches to
environmental management. Rather than an aberration, acid rain is probably the
prototype of the new environmental problems that increasingly will confront the
nation.
G.C.U.F
Acid Rain Effects on Life
Contents
Topic Page no.
1.Introduction……………………………………………………….1-2
2. Chemical reactions during acid rain formation…………………. 2-4
2.1 Acid reactions involving O3
2.2 Reactions involving Sulphur
2.3 Acid reactions involving nitrogen
3.Effects of Acid Rain…………………………………………….4-8
4. How do we reduce acid rain?...........................................................9
5. References…………………………………………………………10
Acid Rain
1.Introduction: Robert Angus Smith first used this term in 1872 to describe the acidic
nature of rain around industrial town of Manchester, U.K. in a paper entitled “The air and
rain beginning of chemical climatology”. Scientists often refer to “acid deposition” as a
more accurate term for acid rain. Along with the wet deposition there are also dry
depositions of acids, which can be transformed into salts in the soil and cause the same
environmental damage, as do the wet deposits. Dry deposition generally occurs close to
the point of emission. Wet deposition, however, may occur thousands of kilometers away
from the original source of emission.
There are several ways to interpret “Acid rain”.
Acid rain is a broad term that describes several ways through which acid falls out
from the atmosphere. Acid rain includes acidic rain, fog, hail and snow.
Pure rainwater is naturally slightly acidic, with pH of 5.6. The pH of normal
rainwater is also acidic; the reason is that water reacts to a slight extent with
atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce carbonic acid.
𝐂𝐎𝟐 + 𝐇𝟐 𝐎 → 𝐇𝟐 𝐂𝐎𝟑 (carbonic acid)
Small amount of nitric acid is also responsible for the acidity of normal rainwater,
which is produced by the oxidation of nitrogen in presence of water during lightning
storms.
𝟐𝑵𝟐 + 𝟓𝑶𝟐 + 𝟐𝑯𝟐 𝑶 → 𝟒𝑯𝑵𝑶𝟑 (𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑)
Rainwater with a pH of less than 5.6 is characterized as acidic rain.
Acid rain is a rain that is more acidic than normal.
Acid rain is the presence of excessive acids such as H2SO4., HNO3 and H2CO3 in
rainwater. Generally, the pH of acid rain varies from 3 to 6. The major contributors
of acid rain are as follows.
H2SO4 (60-70%)
HNO3 (30-40%)
while H2CO3 and HCl are the other components.
Acid rain refers to the wet precipitation of pollutants SO2/SO3 and NO2/HNO3,
which have dissolved in cloud and rain droplets to form sulphuric and nitric acids.
However, the term has come to be more generally applied to include dry
precipitation of the gaseous pollutants and their gaseous and particulate derivatives.
Peroxyl radicals react with formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and form formic and acetic acids
and some other organic acids, contributing to 5-20% acidity in total acid rain load.
2.2 Reactions involving Sulphur: coal is especially rich in Sulphur. As coal is
burned, its component gets oxidized
𝑺 + 𝑶𝟐 → 𝑺𝑶𝟐
The oxidation of Sulphur to SO2 occurs directly in the flame; therefore, SO2 is discharged
to the atmosphere from the smoke stacks. As SO2 flowed with the wind , it is slowly
oxidized at ordinary temperature to 𝑆𝑂3−2