Acid rain nitrogen oxides contribution

Burning fossil fuels can release air pollutants such as carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and particulate matter. Sulfur and nitrogen oxides contribute to acid rain ozone is a component of urban smog, and particulate matter affects respiratory health. In fact, several studies have documented a disturbing correlation between suspended particulate levels and human mortality. It is estimated that air pollution may help cause 500,000 premature deaths and millions of new respiratory illnesses each year. 

Atmospheric pollution caused by SO compounds from the combustion of fossil fuels, O3, CO2, volumetric CH compounds, and NO has become as matter of growing world wide concern in recent years. Nitrogen oxides contribute to acid rain and photochemical smog, and they can cause respiratory problem. Therefore, nitrogen oxides should be controlled and removed from the source in order to keep the earth clean and as-received for our health [1-3]. 

Nitrogen oxides contribute both to ground level ozone formation and acid deposition in the form of acidic particles, fog, and rain [11]. The major source of NOx is from high-temperature combustion processes of fossil fuels in power plants, vehicles, and airplanes. A potentially very large field of application for high-temperature NOx sensors is for emissions control for next-generation lean-bum engines, where catalytic converters are ineffective [12]. 

Acid deposition occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions are transformed in the atmosphere and return to the earth in rain, fog or snow. Approximately 20 million tons of SOj are emitted annually in the United States, mostly from the burning of fossil fuels by electric utilities. Acid rain damages lakes, harms forests and buildings, contributes to reduced visibility, and is suspected of damaging health. 

Nitrogen oxide is rapidly oxidized to nitrogen dioxide on exposure to air, a reaction that contributes to acid rain (see Box 10.1) ... 

N02 plays a major role in the chemical reactions which generate photochemical smog and ground-level ozone, as well as contributes to the acid rain effect. Nitrogen dioxide is a strong oxidizing agent, which reacts in the air to form corrosive nitric acid, as well as... 

Atmospheric nitrogen is also converted into NO in hot airplane and automobile engines, a process that contributes to the problem of acid rain and the formation of smog. Small amounts of nitric oxide occur naturally in our bodies, where it acts as a neurotransmitter, helps to dilate blood vessels, and participates in other physiological changes (Section 2.10). 

CS Explain why gaseous nitrogen oxides emitted by automobiles and industries contribute to acid rain. Write balanced chemical reactions to back up your ideas. You may need to look up chemical formulas for your products. 

Indirect Sources Air, water, and soil can become polluted from a variety of indirect sources. Motor vehicles and factory smokestacks release gases that can indirectly cause many different types of pollution. The acidic gases that are produced (sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) dissolve and contribute to the formation of acid rain. The concentrations of ions in ground water are affected by how acidic the water is. 

Considerable attention has been given to nitrogen oxides (and sulfur oxides) in the atmosphere because of their contributions to acid rain. Several studies suggest that different isotopic techniques can be used to differentiate among different types of atmospherically derived nitrate and ammonium. For example, Heaton (1990) found that derived from vehicle exhaust... 

Nitrogen oxides significantly contribute to a number of environmental effects such as acid rain and eutrophication in coastal waters like the Chesapeake Bay as well as ozone formation, all of which can have adverse effects on both terrestrial and aquatic... 

Initially, fuel sulfur was regulated to reduce emissions of the oxides of sulfur, which contribute to acid rain, ozone, and smog. The recent and stricter round of sulfur specifications, however, are an effort to reduce automobile emissions of the oxides of nitrogen (NO c) and particulate matter (PM). For example, the 15 ppmw diesel sulfur limit follows from the USEPA s parallel program of rule making that seeks to reduce automobile NO and PM emissions by 95% and 90%, respectively, by 2007. Automobile manufacturers are demanding ultra-low-sulfur fuels because only then would their advanced, sulfur-sensitive after-treatment technologies achieve such drastic reductions in NO and PM emissions. 

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