THE ACID RAIN

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THE ACID RAIN

• Environmental Engineer Group

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INTRODUCTION
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ACID DEPOSITION

• 1. Dry deposition
• - Acidic gases and particles
• 2. Wet deposition
• - Acidic rain, fog and snow

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THE ACID RAIN

• What is Acid rain?
• - Acid rain is rain, snow or fog that is
  polluted by acid in the atmosphere and damages
  the environment.

ACID RAIN DROP
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Acid Rain (Acid Precipitation)
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                      Any precipitation carrying
dissolved acids from natural or man made
causes. Examples a. CO2 dissolves in
H2O---------gt Creates carbonic acid (H2CO3) b.
Sulfur dioxide (from internal combustion) mixes
with H2O ---------gt Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) c.
Nitrogen oxides (from internal combustion) mixes
with H2O ---------gt Nitric Acid (HNO3)   Acid
precipitation may have a pH as low as 3. Very
Acidic! Acids in the air may be carried
thousands of miles from their source, polluting
soil water in pristine areas!
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DAMAGES THE ENVIRONMENT
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pH
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pH

• a number on a scale of 0 to 14 which shows how
  acid or alkaline a substance is
• Measure the amount of acid in a liquid like
  water

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The Water Molecule

• Formula of water H20
• H hydrogen
• 2 2 hydrogen atoms
• O oxygen.
• http//www.miamisci.org/ph

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Pour acid into water give up H to water
acid

• Pour base into water give up OH- to water
  base
• http//www.miamisci.org/ph

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Ph 14.0 13.0 12.4 11.0 10.5 8.3 7.4
Substance Sodium Hydroxide Lye Lime (Calcium hydroxide) Ammonia Milk of Magnesia Baking Soda Human Blood
Base Base Base Base Base Base Base Base
7.0 6.6 4.5 4.0 3.0 2.2 2.0 1.0 0
Pure Water Milk Tomato Wine Bee Apple Vinegar Lemon Juice Battery Acid Hydrochloric Acid
Neutral Acid Acid Acid Acid Acid Acid Acid Acid

• http//www.miamisci.org/ph

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Ph 14.0 13.0 12.4 11.0 10.5 8.3 7.4
Substance Sodium Hydroxide Lye Lime (Calcium hydroxide) Ammonia Milk of Magnesia Baking Soda Human Blood
Base Base Base Base Base Base Base Base
7.0 6.6 4.5 4.0 3.0 2.2 2.0 1.0 0
Pure Water Milk Tomato Wine Bee Apple Vinegar Lemon Juice Battery Acid Hydrochloric Acid
Neutral Acid Acid Acid Acid Acid Acid Acid Acid

• http//www.miamisci.org/ph

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• Normal rain slightly acidic 5.5
• (carbon dioxide dissolves into it)
• In 2000, rain pH 4.3 (in the US)
• http//www.epa.gov/airmarkets/acidrain

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Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
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Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

• cause by natural phenomena and
  anthropogenic activities
• is soluble in water
• can be oxidised within airborne water droplets
• producing sulphuric acid

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Comes From

• combustion of fossil fuels
• oxidation of organic material in soils
• volcanic eruptions
• biomass burning
• http//www.temis.nl/products/so2.html

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Reaction

• Sulphur dioxide is an acidic gas
• Easily be made by adding water
• SO2 (g) SO2 (aq)
• SO2 (aq) H2O (l) H2SO3 (aq)
• weakly dibasic acid
• http//www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/so2/so2h.htm

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• Nitrogen Oxide ( NOx )

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The Combustion Of Fuels

• Residential
• cars
• commercial furnaces
• Industrial

• electrical-utility boilers
• Engines
• other equipment

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Canadas largest contributor of NOx ( 1998 )
http//www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/acidfact.html
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Americas largest contributor of NOx ( 1998 )
http//www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/acidfact.html
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the NOx emissions amount( 1998 )
http//www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/acidfact.html
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Critical Load Target Load

• Critical Loada measure of how much pollution
  an environment can tolerate

• Target Loadthe amount of pollution that is
  considered achievable and politically acceptable

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The amount of wet sulphate deposition (kg/ha/yr)
http//www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/acidfact.html
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Environmental Engineer

• History of Acid Rain
• Major problem area

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History of Acid Rain

1. Originated during the 1730's
2. Discovered in the 1950's
3. Started being noticed in the 1960's
4. 1984-Germany
5. 1988-United Nations
6. 2000

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Major problem area
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Major problem area

• Canada
• British Columbia
• United States
• Central Europe
• Asia

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Reference

• Virtual Globe http//www.virtualglobe.org/en/info/
  env/03/acid06.html
• The acid rain report http//www.angelfire.com/ks3/
  acidrainreport/history2.html
• Living Landscapes http//royal.okanagan.bc.ca/mpid
  wirn/atmosphereandclimate/acidprecip.htmla