- 1. Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 20051 of 26 MILE
STONE ACADEMYMILE STONE ACADEMY
2. Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 20052 of 26 CONTANT
Causes Contents PROBLEM ACID AFFECTS THE SOIL LAKES 3. Boardworks
Ltd 20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 20053 of 26 Causes of Acid Rain
Burning coal. Oil and natural gas in power stations makes
electricity, giving off sulphur dioxide gas. Burning petrol and oil
in vehicle engines gives off nitrogen oxides as gases. These gases
mix with water vapour and rainwater in the atmosphere producing
weak solutions of sulphuric and nitric acids which fall as acid
rain. 4. Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 20054 of 26 What
is acid rain? Normal rainwater has a pH of about 5.6, which means
it is naturally slightly acidic. This natural acidity is due to
carbon dioxide which dissolves in rainwater and forms carbonic
acid, a weak acid. Rainwater with a lower pH than normal is called
acid rain. The burning of fossil fuels in power stations and cars
forms pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These
gases dissolve in rainwater to make sulfuric and nitric acids,
which are strong acids and so form acid rain. Why is acid rain a
serious environmental problem? 5. Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20
Boardworks Ltd 20055 of 26 Acid rain animation 6. Boardworks Ltd
20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 20056 of 26 Effects of acid rain Acid
rain has many damaging effects on the environment: The strong acids
in acid rain speed up the chemical weathering of rocks and
buildings. Rivers, lakes and streams become more acidic so that
animals and plants cannot live in them. Soil that becomes more
acidic has les nutrients so trees and other plants cannot grow.
Acid rain also damages trees by breaking down the waxy coating of
leaves. What can be done to reduce acid rain and its effects? 7.
Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 20057 of 26 Reducing acid
rain Governments are working to reduce the emission of acidic
pollutants caused by burning fossil fuels. Sulfur dioxide is formed
when coal containing sulfur is burned in power stations. This
acidic pollutant can be removed from the gases that are released to
the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxides are formed when petrol burns in
vehicle engines. A cars exhaust system can be fitted with a
catalytic converter which turns harmful gases into harmless gases.
How do these changes help to reduce acid rain? 8. Boardworks Ltd
20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 20058 of 26 The Problem! People probably
couldn't live without electricity! Therefore coal will continue to
be burnt. Also, electricity and energy are constantly being
overused. Think of it this way: every time you turn on a light
switch or the television set without really needing to, you're
indirectly contributing to the acid rain problem. 9. Boardworks Ltd
20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 20059 of 26 More problems!!! Acid rain
can travel long distances. Often it doesnt fall where the gas is
produced. High chimneys disperse (spread) the gases and winds blow
them great distances before they dissolve and fall to Earth as
rain. Eg gases produced in England and Western Europe can result in
acid rain in Scotland and Scandinavia. 10. Boardworks Ltd 20041 of
20 Boardworks Ltd 200510 of 26 How Acid Rain Affects The
Environment Acid rain is an extremely destructive form of
pollution, and the environment suffers from its effects. Forests,
trees, lakes, animals, and plants suffer from acid rain. Trees The
needles and leaves of the trees turn brown and fall off. Trees can
also suffer from stunted growth; and have damaged bark and leaves,
which makes them vulnerable to weather, disease, and insects. 11.
Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 200511 of 26 The soil All
of this happens partly because of direct contact between trees and
acid rain, but it also happens when trees absorb soil that has come
into contact with acid rain. The soil poisons the tree with toxic
substances that the rain has deposited into it. 12. Boardworks Ltd
20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 200512 of 26 Lakes are also damaged by
acid rain. Fish die off, and that removes the main source of food
for birds. Acid rain can even kill fish before they are born when
the eggs are laid and come into contact with the acid. Fish usually
die only when the acid level of a lake is high; when the acid level
is lower, they can become sick, suffer stunted growth, or lose
their ability to reproduce. Also, birds can die from eating "toxic"
fish and insects. 13. Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd
200513 of 26 Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a mixture of
sulphuric and nitric acids. Wet deposition rain hail snow fog Dry
deposition gases and particles 14. Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20
Boardworks Ltd 200514 of 26 a) Acid reactions with sulphur S + O2
SO2 2SO2 + O2 2SO3 2- SO3 2- + H2 O H2SO4 b) Acid reactions with
nitrogen N2 +O2 2NO 2NO +O2 2NO2 4NO2+O2 + 2H2 O 4 HNO3 Causes and
chemistry 15. Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 200515 of
26 16. Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 200516 of 26
NATURAL: 17. Boardworks Ltd 20041 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 200517 of
26
