ACID ACID PRECIPITATIONPRECIPITATION

What is acid What is acid precipitation?precipitation?

Precipitation with a pH of less than 5.6Precipitation with a pH of less than 5.6 Normal precipitation has a pH of 5.6 due Normal precipitation has a pH of 5.6 due

to carbon dioxide in the atmosphereto carbon dioxide in the atmosphere Carbon dioxide mixes with water to Carbon dioxide mixes with water to

produce carbonic acid (acid in soda)produce carbonic acid (acid in soda) COCO22 + H + H22O O → H→ H22COCO33

Includes acidic rain, fog, snow, mist, Includes acidic rain, fog, snow, mist, gas & dustgas & dust

What is pH?What is pH?

A measure of A measure of the acidity of a the acidity of a substance on a substance on a scale of 0-14.scale of 0-14.

What causes acid What causes acid precipitation?precipitation?

Pollution in the air causes itPollution in the air causes it

Sulfur dioxide combines with Sulfur dioxide combines with atmospheric moisture to form sulfuric atmospheric moisture to form sulfuric acid.acid.

Nitrogen oxides combine with Nitrogen oxides combine with atmospheric moisture to form nitric acid. atmospheric moisture to form nitric acid.

What are the sources of the What are the sources of the pollution?pollution?

Sulfur emissionsSulfur emissions VolcanoesVolcanoes Marsh gasesMarsh gases Human activityHuman activity

Nitrogen oxidesNitrogen oxides Produced by heat of lightningProduced by heat of lightning Human activityHuman activity

Human Activity SourcesHuman Activity Sources

What is the What is the greatest source of greatest source of sulfur dioxide sulfur dioxide that causes acid that causes acid precipitation?precipitation?

What is the What is the greatest source of greatest source of nitrogen oxides nitrogen oxides that causes acid that causes acid precipitation?precipitation?

Electrical utilities

Highway vehicles

Human Activity SourcesHuman Activity Sources

How do electrical utilities How do electrical utilities cause pollution?cause pollution?

Coal-burning power Coal-burning power plants in the plants in the midwest release midwest release sulfur dioxide into sulfur dioxide into the atmospherethe atmosphere

SOSO22 rises high into rises high into the atmospherethe atmosphere

Winds carry the SOWinds carry the SO2 2

eastward to wetter eastward to wetter climatesclimates

SOSO22 becomes part of becomes part of precipitationprecipitation

How do electrical utilities How do electrical utilities cause pollution?cause pollution?

What are the effects of acid What are the effects of acid precipitation on aquatic precipitation on aquatic

animals?animals? Changes pH of surface waterChanges pH of surface water Causes soil to release aluminumCauses soil to release aluminum These conditions are toxic to fishThese conditions are toxic to fish

Fish eggs don’t hatchFish eggs don’t hatch Puts stress on fishPuts stress on fish

Lower body weight, smaller fishLower body weight, smaller fish Declined food supply Declined food supply

What are the effects of acid What are the effects of acid precipitation on aquatic precipitation on aquatic

animals?animals?

It changes It changes the pH the pH that water that water species species can can withstandwithstand

What are the effects of acid What are the effects of acid precipitation on forests?precipitation on forests?

Slows tree Slows tree growthgrowth

Weakens Weakens trees trees making making them them vulnerable vulnerable to disease to disease and pestsand pests

What are the effects of acid What are the effects of acid precipitation on soil?precipitation on soil?

Depletes soil of Depletes soil of nutrients needed nutrients needed by plantsby plants Higher acidity Higher acidity

releases minerals releases minerals & nutrients from & nutrients from soil, letting them soil, letting them wash awaywash away

What are the effects of acid What are the effects of acid precipitation on structures?precipitation on structures?

Corrodes metals Corrodes metals (bridges, railroads)(bridges, railroads)

Damages stone, Damages stone, especially those especially those that are calcite that are calcite basedbased Limestone, marbleLimestone, marble

What are the effects of acid What are the effects of acid precipitation on humans?precipitation on humans?

As minerals leach from the soil they As minerals leach from the soil they can get into groundwater and our can get into groundwater and our drinking supplydrinking supply

Substances such as lead, aluminum, Substances such as lead, aluminum, and other metals can be toxic and other metals can be toxic

What is being done to What is being done to reduce acid precipitation?reduce acid precipitation?

1990 Clean Air Act1990 Clean Air Act US Congress set policies for reducing sulfur US Congress set policies for reducing sulfur

emissions & nitrogen oxide emissions.emissions & nitrogen oxide emissions. Many coal burning power plants have Many coal burning power plants have

installed installed wet scrubber devices wet scrubber devices to to reduce emissions of particulate matter reduce emissions of particulate matter & sulfur dioxide.& sulfur dioxide.

Many coal burning power plants are Many coal burning power plants are using low-sulfur coalusing low-sulfur coal

ScrubbersScrubbers

What can What can youyou do do to reduce acid to reduce acid

rain?rain?