Discuss the mechanism of formation of acid rain
Answers
Answer:
the nitrogen gas and sulphur gas which are released from the vehicles and factories, mix or combine with rain water to form acid rain
Answer:
Natural sources and human activities are the main causes for the formation of acid rain in the world. Natural source causes are emissions from volcanoes and biological processes that occur on the land, in wetlands, and in the oceans contribute acid-producing gases to the atmosphere; and Effects of acidic deposits have been detected in glacial ice thousands of years old in remote parts of the globe. Whereas, activities of human beings are burning of coal, using Oil and natural gas in power stations to produce electricity, cooking purpose and to run their vehicles are giving off oxide of sulphur, oxides of carbon, oxides of nitrogen, residual hydrocarbons and particulate matters to the environment. These emissions mix with water vapour and rainwater in the atmosphere producing weak solutions of sulphuric and nitric acids, which fall back as acid rain to the ocean, lake and land.
Areas affected by acid rain due to power plant
Canada and USA: Acid rain is a problem in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern USA. Large smelters in western Ontario and steel processing plants in Indiana, Ohio historically used coal as a source of fuel. The sulfur dioxide produced was carried eastward by the jet stream. Acid rain from power plants in the Midwest United States has also harmed the forests of upstate New York and New England. In many areas water and soil systems lack natural alkalinity such as lime base cannot neutralize acid.
Sulfur dioxide is emitted from industrial processes and the burning of fossil fuels. In particular, ore smelting, coal-fired power generators, and the processing of natural gas result in the greatest emissions of sulfur dioxide. In 2000, Canada emitted 2.4 million tons of sulfur dioxide. Moreover, the primary causes of oxides of nitrogen are a vehicle, which accounts about 60% of all nitrogen oxide emissions. However, emissions also come from furnaces, boilers and engines. In 2000, Canada emitted 2.5 million tones of nitrogen oxide [6]. Therefore, these emissions are the main causes of acid rain all over the world.
Europe and Asia: Industrial acid rain is a substantial problem in China, Eastern Europe and Russia and areas down-wind from them. The effects of acid rain can spread over a large area, far from the source of the pollution. Research carried out in North America in 1982, revealed that sulphur pollution killed 51,000 people and about 200,000 people become ill due to this emissions.
Over the past decades, Norway has suffered a great damage due to the effect of acid rain. While Norway’s sulphur dioxide emissions have decreased significantly since the 1970s and 1980s, and nitrogen oxide emissions have decreased slightly, the damages from acid rain appear to be worsening in southern Norway. This is because it takes years for the ecosystems and the environment to recover from the effects of acidification. According to the State of the Environment in Norway, 18 salmon stocks have been lost and 12 are endangered, and have been wiped out of all of the large salmon rivers in southern Norway [7].