Sulfur oxides, acid rain

Aluminium in soils is closely connected to soil acidity and is also discussed in the chapters on acid soils and ion-water reactions. The acidity of acid soils is due to the reactions of water with exchangeable Al3+ on the surface of soil particles. The strong Al-water reaction repels H+ from the water molecules iuto the soil solution. This can create soil acidities as low as pH 4.5. Stronger acidity means other H+-yielding reactions—organic acids from soil organic matter decay, sulfur and sulfide oxidation, phosphate fertilizers, ammonia oxidation, acid rain, and Fe- and Mn-water reactions—are active. 

Output Energy CO2/CH4 (green house effect) sulfur and nitrogen oxides (acid rains) CO/dust (smog formation) BOD/COD in effluents organic waste/asches and scories 154 MJ" 46 MJ -70% (4-380%) -70%/-60% -69%/-76% -85%/-79% -48%/-64% -77%/-81%... 

Figure 2.5 A model illustrating the fate of oxides of sulfur, including acid rain production from SO2 emissions.

Municipal incinerators are often targeted as a primary cause of acid rain. In fact, power plants burning fossil fuels, which produce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, are actually the leading cause of acid rain, along with automotive exhaust (176,177). In Europe and Japan, studies show that only about 0.02% of all acid rain can be traced to incineration of PVC (178). 

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. 

High concentrations of SO, can produce tempo-rai y breathing difficulties in asthmatic children and in adults who are active outdoors. Sulfur dioxide also can directly damage plants and has been shown to decrease crop yields. In addition, sulfur oxides can be converted to sulfuric acid and lead to acid rain. Acid rain can harm ecosystems by increasing the acidity of soils as well as surface waters such as rivers, lakes, and streams. Sulfur dioxide levels fell, on average, by 39 percent between 1989 and 1998. 

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. 

The reduction of atmospheric concentrations of the sulfur and nitrogen oxides blamed for acid rain was a major issue in the debate that led to the 1990 Clean Ail-Act Amendments (CAAA). The final legislative action is one of the most complex and comprehensive pieces of environmental legislation ever written. 

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. 

Natural gas will continue to be substituted for oil and coal as primary energy source in order to reduce emissions of noxious combustion products particulates (soot), unburned hydrocarbons, dioxins, sulfur and nitrogen oxides (sources of acid rain and snow), and toxic carbon monoxide, as well as carbon dioxide, which is believed to be the chief greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. Policy implemented to curtail carbon emissions based on the perceived threat could dramatically accelerate the switch to natural gas. 

Acid rain erodes buildings, particularly those constructed from limestone. It has been reported that the Acropolis in Athens has suffered more deterioration in the last 20 years than in the previous 2000. Acidic gases are produced directly by the combination of oxides of sulfur and oxides of nitrogen with water and also by more complex processes involving unburned hydrocarbons and ozone in the atmosphere. 

Precipitation over North America gradually becomes more acidic from west to east, especially in industrialized areas of the Northeast. This acid rain may be a result of the release of nitrogen and sulfur oxides into the atmosphere. The colors and numbers (see key) indicate pH measured at field laboratories in 2004. Data from National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network http //nadp.sws.uiuc.edu. 

Rainwater is naturally slightly acidic due to the dissolved carbon dioxide. Acid rain results when acidic sulfur and nitrogen oxides produced during the combustion of coal and oil react with rainwater (see Box 10.1). 

Similarly, SO2 and SO3 (SOJ compounds are produced in combustion by the oxidation of sulfur compounds within the fuel source. SO , emitted into the atmosphere can be incorporated into aerosol particles and wet-deposited as corrosive sulfuric acid. Both NO , and SO , emissions contribute to acid rain content from wet deposition, due to their participation in the formation of nitric and sulfuric acid, respectively. 

Figure 7.2 Acid rain occurs when water comes into contact with sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, which can come from natural sources or from man-made sources like cars or power plants. These acid rain-damaged coniferous trees live in the Karkonosze National Park in Silesia, Poland.

The best way to prevent these problems is to prevent acid rain at the start. Reducing emissions from automobiles and power plants would help reduce acid-rain levels. This means conserving energy and driving less. The less energy people use, the less coal needs to be burned to produce electricity. These measures help decrease the sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere and, therefore, decrease the amount of acid rain. 

Acid rain. Natural (unpolluted) precipitation is naturally acidic with a pH often in the range of 5 to 6 caused by carbonic acid from dissolved carbon dioxide and sulfurous and sulfuric acids from natural emissions of SO and H2S. Human activity can reduce the pH very significantly down to the range 2 to 4 in extreme cases, mainly caused by emissions of oxides of sulfur. Because atmospheric pollution and clouds travel over long distances, acid rain is not a local problem. The problem may manifest itself a long way from the source. Problems associated with acid rain include ... 

Sulfur Dioxide. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are produced in modern society when coal, gas, and oil are burned in cars, power plants, and factories, react with water vapor in the air to form acids that negatively affect organic materials and even metals and stone when dissolved in airborne rainwater, the oxides of sulfur and nitrogen are the main cause of the formation of acid rain (see below). 

Acid rain is caused primarily by sulfur dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Sulfur is an impurity in these fuels for example, coal typically contains 2-3% by weight sulfur.1M Other sources of sulfur include the industrial smelting of metal sulfide ores to produce the elemental metal and, in some parts of the world, volcanic eruptions. When fossils fuels are burned, sulfur is oxidized to sulfur dioxide (SO2) and trace amounts of sulfur trioxide (SC>3)J21 The release of sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide emissions to the atmosphere is the major source of acid rain. These gases combine with oxygen and water vapor to form a fine mist of sulfuric acid that settles on land, on vegetation, and in the ocean. 

Conventional power plants can pollute the air with particulate matter and the oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon, causing acid rain and other problems. However, with proper scrubbing and filtering at the source, this pollution has been greatly reduced. 

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