Acid Rain

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Acid Rain

• How does it form?
• Where is this a problem?
• What does it do to ecosystems and people?

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Acid Deposition formationSecondary or primary
pollutant?Sources for precursors?Transportation?
Wet or dry deposition?
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Formulas you need to memorize

• SO3 H2O ? H2SO4 (sulfuric acid)
• NOx H2O ? 2HNO3 (nitric acid)
• These are two forms (flavors) of acid deposition.

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Normal rain

• CO2 H2O ? H2CO3 (carbonic acid)
• Normal rain is always slightly acidic!
• THIS IS NOT ACID RAIN!!!
• THIS IS NOT POLLUTION!!!!
• Acid rain lt pH 5.6

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OBSERVATIONS? IS ACID RAIN A BIG PROBLEM IN
HOUSTON?WHERE IS ACID RAIN A BIG CONCERN?
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Global acid rain areas of concern
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Add a new page to your flip chart

• Second page acid rain
• Draw the same atmosphere layers, sources,
  andtalkie bubbles in blue or black
• Add precursors for acid rain in the bubbles in
  RED.
• Copy the two acid rain equations in the
  troposphere in RED. Which equation should you
  NOT add in?

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Effects on terrestrial systems

• Direct damage to leaves and roots

• Weak trees are susceptible to insects and disease

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Acid deposition leaches nutrients from soil and
makes toxins (Al3) more soluble
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Effects on Aquatic ecosystems

• Loss of biodiversity
• Range of tolerance
• Jelly-like fish eggs broken down
• Acidity denatures enzymes
• Acid shock sudden increase in acidity, often in
  spring can cause fish kills
• Aluminum ions (Al3) are released from lake bed,
  suffocating fish
• Below pH4.5, lakes devoid of fish

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Cultural effects of acid rain

• Marble and limestone

• Acid breaks down these basic materials

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Many famous buildings are being damaged

• Taj Mahal

• Parthenon

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• Statue of liberty

• Loss of artistic detail in Acropolis

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Human health effects of acid rain

• Contributes to bronchitis and asthma

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Acid Rain Check for understanding!

• How does acid rain form?
• What is the pH of acid rain?
• Why is rain normally acidic?
• Why is this a bigger problem on the East Coast
  than here?
• Why is acid rain like AIDS for plants?
• Why are there more significant effects on aquatic
  systems than on terrestrial systems?

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Make a classifying tree map
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If youre not part of the solution, youre part
of the precipitate.

• Solutions to Air pollution

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1994
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1999
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2007
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Two strategies

• Pollution prevention (dont create the primary
  pollutants in the first place)

• Pollution clean up (now that theyre in the
  environment, lets mitigate the effects)

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Legal solutions

• Emissions trading policy (Cap and Trade)
  stationary pollution sources can buy, sell and
  trade the right to pollute.
• This policy ONLY exists in the US for SOx right
  now.
• (CO2 cap and trade just started in California
  2012!)

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Technology Strategies trap pollutants at the
source
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Technology solution improved vehicle efficiency

• Using less gas fewer combustion pollutants
• Hybrids use friction from breaking to charge
  electric battery regenerative breaking
• Computer switches engine from gas to electricity.

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Chevy Volt 2011 pollution diverted to power
plant
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Technology solution burn cleaner coal/coal
gasification

• Burn low-sulfur coal from Western US
• Gasification turns solid coal to gas before it is
  burned fewer particulates, SOx

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Liming a lake (powdered limestone)
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Stream doser

• Spot the pipe which adds the limestone solution
  to the stream!

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IPATImpact Population x Affluence x Technology

• I clean air
• P growing
• A options?
• T options?
• Which of these can YOU do TODAY? ?