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    Acid Rain

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    Sohel Bangi
    Here are a few key considerations in making this decision: - Jobs and economic growth are important benefits, but health and environmental impacts must also be weighed carefully. Allowing pollution that causes acid rain could have serious long-term consequences. - Are there requirements that can be placed on the factory, such as using cleaner fuels or installing scrubbers, to reduce acid rain-causing emissions? If emissions can be controlled to safe levels, the project may be justified. - Has an environmental impact assessment been conducted? What do independent experts project about the likelihood and severity of acid rain impacts? More information is needed to properly understand health and environmental risks. - Are there alternative locations or factory designs that could reduce pollution, or

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    Acid Rain

    Uploaded by

    Sohel Bangi
    177 views27 pages
    Here are a few key considerations in making this decision: - Jobs and economic growth are important benefits, but health and environmental impacts must also be weighed carefully. Allowing pollution that causes acid rain could have serious long-term consequences. - Are there requirements that can be placed on the factory, such as using cleaner fuels or installing scrubbers, to reduce acid rain-causing emissions? If emissions can be controlled to safe levels, the project may be justified. - Has an environmental impact assessment been conducted? What do independent experts project about the likelihood and severity of acid rain impacts? More information is needed to properly understand health and environmental risks. - Are there alternative locations or factory designs that could reduce pollution, or

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    Here are a few key considerations in making this decision: - Jobs and economic growth are important benefits, but health and environmental impacts must also be weighed carefully. Allowing pollution that causes acid rain could have serious long-term consequences. - Are there requirements that can be placed on the factory, such as using cleaner fuels or installing scrubbers, to reduce acid rain-causing emissions? If emissions can be controlled to safe levels, the project may be justified. - Has an environmental impact assessment been conducted? What do independent experts project about the likelihood and severity of acid rain impacts? More information is needed to properly understand health and environmental risks. - Are there alternative locations or factory designs that could reduce pollution, or

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    177 views27 pages

    Acid Rain

    Uploaded by

    Sohel Bangi
    Here are a few key considerations in making this decision: - Jobs and economic growth are important benefits, but health and environmental impacts must also be weighed carefully. Allowing pollution that causes acid rain could have serious long-term consequences. - Are there requirements that can be placed on the factory, such as using cleaner fuels or installing scrubbers, to reduce acid rain-causing emissions? If emissions can be controlled to safe levels, the project may be justified. - Has an environmental impact assessment been conducted? What do independent experts project about the likelihood and severity of acid rain impacts? More information is needed to properly understand health and environmental risks. - Are there alternative locations or factory designs that could reduce pollution, or

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    Contents

    Definition
    Causes
    Formation
    Affected Areas
    Effects
    Preventive Measures

    Definition of Acid Rain


    Precipitation that has a pH of less than

    that of natural rainwater (which is about


    5.6 due to dissolved carbon dioxide).
    It is formed when
    1. sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide
    2. nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide

    gases in the atmosphere, combine with


    water vapor and precipitate as sulfuric
    acid or nitric acid.
    This acidic precipitation then falls to the
    earth as rain, snow, or fog.

    Formation of Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4)


    2SO2(g) + O2(g)

    2SO3(g)

    SO3(g) + H2O(l)

    H2SO4(aq)

    Formation of Nitric Acid (HNO3)


    2NO(g) + O2(g)

    2NO2(g)

    4NO2(g) + 2H2O(l) + O2(g) 4HNO3(aq)

    Sources OF
    ACID RAIN
    SO2
    NOX

    Sources of Acid Rain


    Natural Sources Non-anthropogenic

    Emissions from volcanoes and from


    biological processes that occur on the
    land, in wetlands, and in the oceans
    contribute acid-producing gases to the
    atmosphere
    Effects of acidic deposits have been
    detected in glacial ice thousands of
    years old in remote parts of the globe

    Anthropogenic Sources
    of Acid Rain
    The principal cause of acid rain is from
    human sources

    Industrial factories, power-generating plants


    and vehicles
    Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen are
    released during the fuel burning process (i.e.
    combustion)
    Sulfur dioxide
    accounts for about
    90 % of all acid
    rainfall
    MSN Encarta

    Formation of Acid Rain

    Formation of Acid Rain


    When water vapor condenses, or as
    the rain falls, acidic gases dissolve
    in the water to form sulfuric acid
    (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3).

    While the air in cleaned of these


    acidic pollutants in this way, the
    resulting precipitation is acidic, and
    it can have serious negative effects.

    Acidic Rain Deposition


    Acidic particles and vapors are deposited via two processes
    - wet and dry deposition.

    Wet deposition is acid rain, the process by which acids with


    a pH normally below 5.6 are removed from the atmosphere
    in rain, snow, sleet or hail.

    Dry deposition takes place when particles such as fly ash,


    sulfates, nitrates, and gases (such as SO2 and NO), are
    deposited on, or absorbed onto, surfaces.

    The gases can then be converted into acids when they


    contact water.

    Formation of Acid Rain

    Affected Areas
    Canada and the USA

    Acid rain is a problem in Eastern Canada and the


    Northeastern USA
    Large smelters in western Ontario and steel
    processing plants in Indiana, Ohio historically
    used coal as a source of fuel
    The sulfur dioxide produced was carried eastward
    by the jet stream
    Acid rain from power plants in the Midwest
    United States has also harmed the forests of
    upstate New York and New England.
    In many areas water and soil systems lack
    natural alkalinity such as lime base cannot
    neutralize acid

    Affected Areas
    Europe and Asia
    Industrial acid rain is a substantial
    problem in China, Eastern Europe
    and Russia and areas down-wind
    from them.
    The effects of acid rain can spread
    over a large area, far from the
    source of the pollution

    Harmful Effects of Acid Rain


    Harmful to aquatic life

    Increased acidity in water bodies


    Stops eggs of certain organisms (e.g.
    fish) to stop hatching
    Changes population ratios
    Affects the ecosystem

    Effects of Vegetation
    Harmful to vegetation

    Increased acidity in soil


    Leaches nutrients from soil, slowing plant
    growth
    Leaches toxins from soil, poisoning plants
    Creates brown spots in leaves of trees,
    impeding photosynthesis

    Allows organisms to infect through


    broken leaves

    Effects of Acid Rain


    on Vegetation
    http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/bio270/clo
    ver_leaf_burns_pH2_30d.gif

    MSN Encarta

    Effects of Acid Rain on


    Buildings and Structures
    Marble is particularly
    susceptible
    Accelerates weathering in metal
    and stone structures
    Eg. Parthenon in Athens,
    Greece; Taj Mahal in Agra,
    India

    MSN Encarta http://www.lauraknauth.com/photos/france/thinker.jp

    Effects of Acid Rain on


    Human Health
    Affects human health

    Respiratory problems, asthma, dry coughs,


    headaches and throat irritations
    Leaching of toxins from the soil by acid rain
    can be absorbed by plants and animals.
    When consumed, these toxins affect
    humans severely.
    Brain damage, kidney problems, and
    Alzheimer's disease has been linked to
    people eating "toxic" animals/plants.

    Preventive Measures
    Reduce amount of sulfur dioxide and
    oxides of nitrogen released into the
    atmosphere

    Use less energy (hence less fuel burned)


    Use cleaner fuels
    Remove oxides of sulfur and oxides of
    nitrogen before releasing
    Flue gas desulphurization
    Catalytic Converters

    Preventive Measures
    Use cleaner fuels

    Coal that contains less sulfur


    "Washing" the coal to reduce sulfur
    content
    Natural Gas

    Preventive Measures
    Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD)

    Removes sulfur dioxide from flue gas (waste


    gases)
    Consists of a wet scrubber and a reaction tower
    equipped with a fan that extracts hot smoky
    stack gases from a power plant into the tower
    Lime or limestone (calcium carbonate) in slurry
    form is injected into the tower to mix with the
    stack gases and reacts with the sulphur dioxide
    present

    Preventive Measures
    (continued)

    Produces pH-neutral
    calcium sulfate that is
    physically removed
    from the scrubber
    Sulfates can be used
    for industrial
    purposes
    Scrubber at work
    MSN Encarta

    Alkaline Scrubbers

    Preventive Measures
    Use sources other than coal to
    generate electricity

    nuclear power
    hydro-electricity
    wind energy
    geothermal
    energy,
    solar energy

    Issue of cost
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Nuclear_Power_Plant_Cattenom.jpg

    Reducing the effects of Acid


    Rain
    Liming

    Powdered
    limestone/limewater added
    to water and soil to
    neutralize acid
    Used extensively in Norway
    and Sweden
    Expensive, short-term
    remedy

    Problem Scenario
    Suppose you worked in the
    government. A company wants to
    set up a factory in your country. It
    would bring jobs, but it would also
    bring about pollution, which would
    lead to acid rain. Would you allow
    it? Justify your answer.

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