Acid Rain

Acid rain is basically rain that has a higher than normal acid
level (low pH).
Acid rain has a pH less than 5.6
 The pH of natural rain is 5.6

CO2 + H2O  H2CO3 (carbonic acid)

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere mixes with

water and forms carbonic acid, making rain
slightly acidic.
 What causes acid deposition?
The primary air pollution is sulphur dioxide and
nitrogen oxides

Sulfur oxides come from:

Burning coal in the production of electricity and
the smelting of ores
SOx + H2O  H2SOx (sulfurous and
sulfuric acid)

Nitrogen oxides comes from:

Fuel combustion in vehicles
NOx + H2O  HNO2 (nitrous acid) +
HNO3 (nitric acid)
 Causes of Acid Rain
• Burning coal. Oil and natural
gas in power stations makes
electricity, giving off sulphur
dioxide gas.
• Burning petrol and oil in vehicle
engines gives off nitrogen
oxides as gases.
• These gases mix with water
vapour and rainwater in the
atmosphere producing weak
solutions of sulphuric and nitric
acids – which fall as acid rain.
 More problems!!!
• Acid rain can travel long distances.

• Often it doesn’t fall where the gas is

produced. High chimneys disperse
(spread) the gases and winds blow
them great distances before they
dissolve and fall to Earth as rain.

• Gases produced in England and

Western Europe can result in acid rain
in Scotland and Scandinavia.
The primary pollutants: sulfur oxides and the nitrogen
oxides become secondary pollutants: nitric acid and
sulfuric acid.

• Sulfur oxides and

water become
sulfurous and sulfuric
acid

• Nitrogen oxides
become nitrous and
nitric acids
Acid precipitation can travel long distances by prevailing
winds

• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/chamalapura-coal-based-fired-thermal-power-plant-project
Acid deposition can be snow, fog, or rain.
Combustion of coal produces
carbon dioxide and sulfur
dioxide
 How Acid Rain Affects The Environment

Direct effects on lakes

- Most living organisms, like fish, do not survive in water with a
pH level lower than 5.0
- Growing aquatic plants like algea, stop growing, due to low
pH.
 Direct effects on plants
• It can alter the protective waxy surface of
leaves, lowering disease resistance.

• It may inhibit plant germination and

reproduction.
 Direct effect on soil

• It accelerates soil leaching and removal of

nutrients, such as calcium, potassium and
magnesium ions.

• It makes some toxic elements, such as

aluminium, more soluble. High aluminum
concentrations in soil can prevent the uptake
and use of nutrients by plants.
Indirect effect on lakes: Aluminium
ions are leached from the soil into
lakes
As acid rain flows through soils in a
watershed, aluminium is leached from soils
into the lakes and streams located in that
watershed.

The increased aluminium levels are directly

toxic to fish.
 • Acid deposition
Forests leaches nutrients to
the subsoil, making
them unavailable
for tree roots.
• Acid deposition in
clouds directly
harms the foliage
(leaves and
needles) of trees,
especially in
mountain forests
 Effect on ecosystems and food
chains
• As lakes and streams become more acidic,
the numbers and types of fish and other
aquatic plants and animals that live in these
waters decrease.
 Transport
Currently, both the railway industry and the aeroplane industry
are having to spend a lot of money to repair the corrosive damage
done by acid rain. Also, bridges have collapsed in the past due to
acid rain corrosion.
Buffering Capacity: The ability of soils to
neutralize acid depends on its composition

• Limestone
contains
carbonates, which
neutralize acid
rain.
• Limestone soils have
high buffering
capacities as the
calcium carbonate is
able to neutralize
acids from acid rain.
Granite has low buffering
capacity
 When acid rain falls on areas that are high in granite,
the acid is not neutralized, making these areas prone to
damage from acid rain.
Acid rain and building
structures
Acids are
corrosive to
limestone,
sandstone and
marble and
metals
 The socioeconomic consequences of
acidification

• Acid deposition causes accelerated corrosion,

fracturing, and discoloration of buildings,
structures, and monuments.

• Lower productivity in fisheries, forestry, and

agriculture translates to lower profits and fewer
jobs for some important industries.
 Effect on humans
• There is a link between this pollution and
respiratory problems in sensitive populations
such as children and asthmatics.

• Acid deposition can increase the levels of toxic

metals such as aluminum, copper, and mercury
in untreated drinking water supplies.
Research carried out in North America
in 1982, revealed that sulphur pollution
killed 51,000 people and about
200,000 people become ill as a result
of the pollution.
 What are
the
solutions to
acid rain?
 Quick summary of ways to reduce Acid
Deposition
1. Reducing energy use and the air pollution by improving air efficiency.
2. Switching from burning coal to natural gas, wind power, solar power,
hydroelectric power or nuclear power
3. Removing sulfur from coal before burned.
4. Removing of sulfur dioxide using alkaline scrubbers
5. Removing Nitrogen oxides from motor vehicles exhaust using
catalytic converters
6. Reduce the amount of electricity we use
7. Turn tv’s off at the mains, don’t leave on standby.
8. turn off lights when a room is not in use.
 Reduction of nitrogen monoxide
and sulfur dioxide emissions
• Catalytic converter • Sulfur can be washed
changes nitrogen from coal
oxides to nitrogen • Alkaline Scrubbers
gas can remove sulfur
• Energy saving dioxide from
• Avoiding coal power emissions
plants
 Alkaline Scrubbers

• Removes sulfur oxides before emission

• The mixture of sulfur dioxide and lime makes a
solid calcium sulfate.
 Quick summary of ways to reduce
Acid Deposition
• 1) reducing energy use and the air pollution by improving
air efficiency.
• 2) Switching from burning coal to natural gas, wind
power, solar power, hydroelectric power or nuclear power
• 3) Removing sulfur from coal before burned.
• 4) Removing of sulfur dioxide using alkaline scrubbers
• 5) Removing Nitrogen oxides from motor vehicles exhaust
using catalytic converters
Power that does not burn coal
Soil Conditioner
adding lime
THANK YOU