Air pollution acid rain

Mcllanby, K. (ed.), "Air Pollution, Acid Rain, and the Environment," Elsevder Science Publishers, Essex, England, 1988. 

ACID RAIN. Acid rain can be simply described as rain that is more acidic than normal. Acid ram is a complicated problem, Caused by air pollution, acid rain s spread and damage involve weather, chemistry, soil, and the life cycles of plants and animals on the land and in the water. 

Not surprisingly, it s the layer nearest the earth s surface—the troposphere—that is the most easily disturbed by human activities and has the greatest effect on the earth s surface conditions. Among those effects, air pollution, acid rain, and the greenhouse effect are particularly important. 

There has been considerable effort to solve and diminish ecological and environmental problems such as air pollution, acid rain, soil pollution, and etc [1]. It has been well known that the acidic gases, such as, SO2 and NO, are major components of air pollution. Carbons have been used as not only a reducing agent itself but also catalyst support for the purpose of removing pollution sources such as NO, SO, and etc [2-4]. 

Hydrocarbons are the primary molecules that our society uses for fuel. Natural gas, gasoline, and oil are all mixtures of hydrocarbons with progressively longer carbon chains in going from gas to oil. All of these fuels, called fossil fuels, are of limited supply and will eventually need to be replaced by other energy sources. Their use also causes environmental problems such as air pollution, acid rain, and global warming (6.3). 

The other major problems associated with fossil fuel use stem from the products of combustion. The chemical equations shown for fossil fuel combustion all produce cartxM dioxide and water. However, these equations represent the reactions under ideal conditions and do not account for impurities in the fuel, side reactions, and incomplete combustion. When these are taken into account, we can identify three major awiron-mental problems associated with the emissitxis of fossil fuel combustion air pollution, acid rain, and global climate change. We discussed acid rain in Chjpter 3 (see Chemistry in the Environment Acid Rain in Section 3.6). Here we will address air pollution and global climate change, which we first touched on in Section 4.1. 

In addition to their limited supply, the products of the combustion of fossil fuels—directly or indirectly formed—contribute to environmental problems including air pollution, acid rain, and global climate change, which involves an increase in Earth s average temperature caused by CO2 emission. 

Gao, S., K. Sakamoto, D. Zhao, D. Zhang, X. Dong, S. Hatakeyama Studies on atmospheric pollution, acid rain and emission control for their precursors in Chongqing, China, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut., 130 (2001) 247-252. 

Selection of pollution control methods is generally based on the need to control ambient air quaUty in order to achieve compliance with standards for critetia pollutants, or, in the case of nonregulated contaminants, to protect human health and vegetation. There are three elements to a pollution problem a source, a receptor affected by the pollutants, and the transport of pollutants from source to receptor. Modification or elimination of any one of these elements can change the nature of a pollution problem. For instance, tall stacks which disperse effluent modify the transport of pollutants and can thus reduce nearby SO2 deposition from sulfur-containing fossil fuel combustion. Although better dispersion aloft can solve a local problem, if done from numerous sources it can unfortunately cause a regional one, such as the acid rain now evident in the northeastern United States and Canada (see Atmospheric models). References 3—15 discuss atmospheric dilution as a control measure. The better approach, however, is to control emissions at the source. 

Biological processes are also being studied to investigate abiHty to remove sulfur species in order to remove potential contributors to acid rain (see Air pollution). These species include benzothiophene-type materials, which are the most difficult to remove chemically, as weU as pyritic material. The pyrite may be treated to enhance the abiHty of flotation processes to separate the mineral from the combustible parts of the coal. Genetic engineering (qv) techniques are being appHed to develop more effective species. 

In a relatively small continental area such as Europe, there is not much difference between what would be considered the regional scale and the continental scale. However, on most other continents there would be a difference between what is considered regional and what continental. Perhaps of greatest concern on the continental scale is that the air pollution policies of a nation are likely to create impacts on neighboring nations. Acid rain in Scandanavia has been considered to have had impacts from Great Britain and Western Europe. Japan has considered that part of their air pollution problem, especially in the western part of the country, has origins in China and Korea. Cooperation in the examination of the North American acid rain problem has existed for a long time between Canada and the United States. 

Other Titles - The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 continue the federal acid rain research program and contain several provisions relating to research, development and air monitoring. They also contain provisions to provide additional unemployment benefits through the Job Training Partnership Act to workers laid off as a consequence of compliance with the Clean Air Act. The Act also contains provisions to improve visibility near National Parks and other parts of the country. Strict enforcement of the Clean Air Act Amendments is the driving force behind pollution abatement. Non-compliance is simply not an option, since there are both financial and criminal liabilities that outweigh any benefits derived from a business. 

Acid Deposition (wet) air pollution produced when acid chemicals are incorporated into rain, snow, fog, or mist. 

Deals with issues that affect the quality of our air and protection from exposure to harmful radiation. OAR de >el-ops national programs, technical policies, and regulations for controlling air pollution and radiation exposure. Areas of concern to OAR include indoor and outdoor air quality, stationaiy and mobile sources of air pollution, radon, acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion, radiation protection, and pollution prevention. 

Since the majority of middle distillates are used as a fuel, combustion of these products will contribute to SO2/SO3 air pollution and acid rain. However, in catalytic processes of petroleum fractions Sulfur levels are also important. Lor instance, quantities... 

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. 

See also Acid Rain Agriculture Air Pollution Atmosphere Biological Energy Use, Cellular Processes of Climatic Effects Environmental Problems and Energy Use Green Energy Tlierniodynaniics. 

See also Acid Rain Air Pollution Atmosphere Environmental Problems and Energy Use Ocean Energy Systems Pollution and Energy Efficiency. 

Public concerns about air quality led to the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970 to amendments to that act in 1977 and 1990. The 1990 amendments contained seven separate titles covering different regula-toiy programs and include requirements to install more advanced pollution control equipment and make other changes in industrial operations to reduce emissions of air pollutants. The 1990 amendments address sulfur dioxide emissions and acid rain deposition, nitrous oxide emissions, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide emissions, particulate emissions, tail pipe emissions, evaporative emissions, reformulated gasoline, clean-fueled vehicles and fleets, hazardous air pollutants, solid waste incineration, and accidental chemical releases. 

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