Environment & Ecology

Code : CY10I008CY
UNIT – 3
Environmental Pollution and its Control

Acid Rain

Department of Chemistry
National Institute of Technology, Raipur 1
 Outlines
 General information
 Sources of acid rain
 Chemistry of acid rain
 Impact of acid rain
 Control of acid rain
 General Information

Rain tends to be normally acidic with a pH of 5.6 to 5.7 due to

the reaction of atmospheric CO2 with water to produce
carbonic acid

CO2 + H2O H2CO3

This much acidity in water is sufficient to dissolve minerals in

soil and make them available to plants and animal life.

Any precipitation or deposition having a pH lower than 5.6 as a

result of contact with air borne particles will have an adverse
effect on flora and fauna on which it falls is called acid rain

In simple rain with a pH less than 5.6

 Sources of Acid Rain
Combustion of fossil fuel results in the emission of
gases specially
Oxides of Sulphur
Oxides of Nitrogen

Main sources of these oxides are

 Smelter
 Power plants
 Automobile
 Domestic Fire
 Forest fires
 Sources of Acid Rain
Combustion of fossil fuel results in the emission of gases specially

Oxides of Nitrogen Oxides of Sulphur

Nitric oxide (NO)
Nitrus oxide (NO2)
Nitrogen
dioxide(N2O)
Nitric acid (HNO3)
 Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
Hydrogen sulphide (H2S)
Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4)
Sulphate ions (SO4--)

Chlorine (Cl) and

Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
Chemistry of Acid Rain
Impact of Acid Rain

Effect on Plants

Effect on Animals

Acidification of Soil

Effect on Inanimate object

 Impact of Acid Rain

Effect on Plants
1. Disrupt Photosynthesis
2. At lower concentration – retards production of chlorophyll
3. Higher concentration – formation of sulphuric acid which
kills plants
4. Retards plant growth
5. Foliar damage to crops and forest
6. Leaching of nutrients from leaves
7. Alteration in seed germination characteristics (Mutation)
8. Increase sensitivity to drought and disease
 Impact of Acid Rain

Effect on Animals
It affects -
1. Human nervous system
2. Respiratory system
3. Digestive system
4. Lungs
5. Skin
6. Hair (hair fall)
 Impact of Acid Rain
Acidification of Soil
1. Alteration in soil chemistry leads to reduce soil
productivity

2. Ca ++, Na +, K +, Fe ++, Cd ++, Pb++ are released, due to this

condition some important element like phosphorus
becomes insoluble, hence not available to the plants

3. Cd ++, Pb++ reduces plant growth

 Impact of Acid Rain
Effect on Inanimate object
Causes extensive damage to
1. Buildings
2. Structural materials of marble, limestone, slate, mortar

The effect of acid rain on marble is called stone leprosy or

stone cancer

CaCO3 + H2SO4 CaSO4 + H2O + CO2

(soluble in water)
 Control of Acid Rain
The only practical approach to control the problem of acid
rain is to reduce Sox and NOx emissions.
It can be done in the following ways –
1. By reducing the use of fossil fuels
2. By the use of fuel containing low S and N
3. By the use of catalytic converters in automobiles
4. By the use of scrubbers in industries
5. By the use of alternative energy resource
Thank you

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