Download ACID RAIN

ACID RAIN
What is Acid Rain?

Rain that has been made acidic by certain
pollutants in the air
◦ Forms when nitrogen oxides and sulfur
oxides combine with water in the air to
form nitric acid and sulfuric acid
Sources of Acid Rain
Human activities (power plants, vehicles
and burning fossil fuels)
 Reactions in the environment
◦ Chemicals react with normal
precipitation and form acid rain

Why is Acid Rain harmful?
Causes health problems
◦ Respiratory diseases
 Harms forests
◦ Acid strips nutrients from leaves and needles on
trees
◦ Aluminum in soil makes it hard for trees to take up
water
 Damages Lakes and streams
◦ Can be deadly to aquatic life
 Damages Building and objects
◦ Strip off paint, wear down on materials

Effects of Acid Rain
Statue of Liberty- result of
oxidation, NOT acid rain
What is being done to control it?

Government regulations and new
technologies
◦ Clean Air Act of 1990
Reducing pollution (scrubbers)
 Other sources of energy (solar and wind)
 Cleaner cars (catalytic converter)

What can you do?

Conserve energy
◦ Turn off electrical equipment when not in use
◦ Encourage parents to buy energy saving
equipment
◦ Limit air conditioning
◦ Adjust your thermostat
◦ Recycle
◦ Walk
◦ Carpool
pH scale
Measures how acidic an object is
 Acids are from 0 - 6.9
 Bases are from 7.1 – 14
 Neutral substances (pure water) are 7
 Normal rain is slightly acidic = 5.0 - 5.5
 Acid rain is typically around 4.0 (ten times
greater than normal rain)

pH scale
A logarithmic scale, based on powers of
10.
 A pH change of 1 equals a 10 fold change
in Hydrogen ion concentration

◦ A pH of 6 is 10x more acidic than a pH of 7

The pH increases as the number of
Hydrogen ions (H+) decreases