ACID RAIN

CAUSES and EFFECTS

A paradise island: which one is it?

Limestone and marble

dissolve in acid rain.

Welcome to

HAWAII.

This forest in Hawaii has been

damaged by acid rain.

But in Hawaii there are not many

factories, not even many cars.

What causes the

acid rain in

HAWAII then?

The most active

volcanoes on

Earth are in

Hawaii.

Volcanoes,

together with

factories and cars,

emit the gases

that produce the

acid rain.

Which are the gases

that produce acid rain?

Sulphur

dioxide

SO2

Which are the gases

that produce acid rain?

Nitrogen

dioxide

NO2

Reactions that lead to

acid rain

SO2 + air SO3

SO3 + H2O H2SO4

4 NO2 + 2 H2O + O2 4 HNO3

Sulphuric acid and nitric

acid, mixed with water,

make acid rain.

What are the

effects of

acid rain?

Acid rain damages buildings.

Limestone and marble

dissolve in acid rain.

WHY?

limestone marble

CaCO3 calcium carbonate

are made from

CaCO3 calcium carbonate

H2SO4 sulphuric acid

+

CaSO4 calcium sulphate

H2O water

+ CO2 carbon dioxide

+

Acid rain kills

trees.

WHY?

When acid rain

reaches the

ground, it

dissolves some

of the minerals

and carries

them away. This

process is

called leaching.

Without these

minerals, trees

can die.

Acid rain kills

fish in lakes.

WHY?

Many forms

of water life

are sensitive

to the pH of

the water. If

the pH

changes, they

can die.

Fish die

because they

don’t have

food to eat.