So2 Research Paper

So2 Research Paper
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a colorless gas with an irritating odor that cannot be seen or tasted. It is
considered as one of the air criteria pollutants along with carbon monoxide, particulate matter,
ground–level ozone, lead, and nitrogen dioxide by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
SO2 belongs to a group of highly reactive gases called sulfur oxides (SOx) which reacts easily with
other substances to form harmful compounds, such as sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid, and sulfate
particles. Exceedingly reactive gases are those with a high potential to change under specific states
of pressure, temperature, light, or upon contact with another compound. For instance, when sulfur
dioxide is released into the atmosphere, it dissociates in water ... Show more content on
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Short–term exposure to SO2 can harm the human respiratory system and hinder breathing.
Moreover, SO2 and other sulfur oxides can contribute to acid rain which can harm trees and plants
by damaging foliage and slowing down growth. On the other hand, the US government has passed
laws to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide. These regulations have managed to reduce 62% of sulfur
dioxide emissions in the air from 2000 to 2014. Nevertheless, it is everyone's responsibility to stop
the release of this and other criteria pollutants. If acid rain destroys our environment, it will
eventually destroy us as
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Taking a Look at Acid Rain
Acid rain or acid deposition occurs when atmospheric pollutants, namely sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides, combine with water vapour present in the atmosphere. (Morgan, 1999, p. 3) Acid deposition
is a broad term which includes any precipitation that has a pH deemed to be acidic. When these
pollutants, released from the burning of fossils fuels or the smelting of metal, enter into the
atmosphere they combine with moisture before falling down to Earth. (National Geographic, n.d.) A
chemical reaction then occurs converting these reactants into sulfuric and nitric acid which in turn
will create rain that is acidic. (Petheram, 2003, p. 15) Prior to this, several reactions must first occur.
Sulfur, which is found in nature in a solid state, must transform into sulfur oxide gas. (Morgan,
1999, p. 35) Sulfur dioxide is often found from industrial emissions and electricity generation.
(Jakuboski, 2011) While it can be found in nature, it is not found in nearly as conspicuous amounts
as it is from human pollution. In nature it is formed by bonding sulfur oxides with oxygen in the
atmosphere, transforming the sulfur oxides into a gaseous state. Sulfur dioxide gases will then oxide
to create sulfur trioxide. Finally, sulfur trioxide will chemically bond with moisture in the
atmosphere to form sulfuric acid. (Morgan, 1999, p. 34) Nitrogen, however, remains a different
story altogether. Nitrogen monoxide, which enters into the atmosphere as emissions from vehicles
and

Problematic Issues Caused by Acid Rain Essay
Problematic Issues Caused by Acid Rain
Acid rain has been problematic to the earth's environment for many years in North America. What is
Acid Rain? What causes Acid Rain? How is Acid Rain damageable to the Earths soil? Acid Rain is
rain that contains a high concentration of pollutants, chiefly sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide,
released into the earth's atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
(Definition.com) Acid Rain has been known to cause damage to vegetation and soils, animals and
humans. There are two types of Acid Rain: Wet Deposition and Dry Deposition. Wet Deposition
refers to acidic rain, fog and snow. Dry Deposition occurs in dry climates, where acid chemicals
may become incorporated into dust or ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It pollutes the air when bad exhaustion comes out of the tails pipes of a vehicle. Most cities have a
law emission test requirement for vehicles that reside in the city. Rural areas, such as where I live,
do not require an emissions test. I believe that every vehicle that is sold to consumers, it is tested
before it is sold. Meanwhile, buses in New Mexico are using natural gas to transport people; it burns
clear and regular gas is dirty. Automobile designers have invented electric cars that do not cause
harm to the earth's environment. Hopefully in the far or near future everyone will be driving electric
cars. With the raise of electric cars out on the streets, Can you imagine what our environment would
look like? In modern day society, acid rain has affected vegetations, waters, rocks and animals in
various types of environments. Acid rain is very common in forest types of environments and lakes
due to the wind. The wind carries toxins of sulfur dioxide into the clouds where the clouds create
either rain or smog. When the ground/soil is affected by sulfur dioxide, it becomes rotted and the
acid rain kills all types of vegetation. Animals living in this environment loose some sort of food and
become poisoned. For example, fish that live in the waters of lakes are harmed by acid rain where
the pH levels become abnormal. When the forests are destroyed, the living creatures and animals
will not be able to find any source of food; the wild grass is one source of

Industrial Emissions And Its Effects On Human Health And...
1. Introduction Industrial emissions are a major sources of air pollution, and thus responsible for
numerous deleterious effects on a human health and environment caused by photochemical smog,
acid rain, and resultant degradation of ecosystems and bio–diversity. Ontario's SO2 emissions are
predominantly around 65 percent from industrial sources including non–ferrous smelting. The major
environmental concerns associated with smelting are "energy consumption, releases of sulphur
dioxide and particulate matter to air, and the generation of residues, such as slag and captured dust"
(Environment Canada, 2006). In this paper, the policies and regulation that were implemented by the
United Nations Convention to reduce the amount of SO2 ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
2. SO2 Pollution Effects around Sudbury Today the Sudbury region is known for mining and
production of nickel, as it is located just off the Canadian Shield region that holds a vast nickel
reserves. Throughout the early 20th century, many mining and smelting venture such as Inco and
Falconbridge were created to take advantage of the growing nickel industry. Both are these
companies used a smelting process called heap roasting method to extract the nickel from the ore.
However, Smelting process is the one main source of the sulphur fumes which caused acid rain
(Buhr, 1998). This results from nickel production itself, where there is 8 more times of sulphur
oxides particulate in the ore than actual nickel (Crawford, 1994). At the beginning of this century,
the amount of SO2 released into the atmosphere weren't much of a concern since the nickel output
was considerably small. It later became a problem as the demand for nickel production was
gradually increasing (Crawford, 1994). Up till the 1970's, the Smelting industry in the Sudbury
region was one of the largest metal producing complexes in the world, which meant that it also
release a massive amount of Sulphur and metal particulates into the environment. By the 1960's, the
smelting site in Sudbury was one of the largest point source of SO2 emission releasing thousands of
tons of metal particulates from the smelters as graph 1 displays. (Keller, Heneberry & Gunn, 1999).
As more ground level of sulphur dioxide emission

Acid Rain Causes And Effects
Introduction
Acid rain is the product of chemical compounds reacting with the water and oxygen in the
atmosphere. This pollutant is commonly found in industrialised locations such as America and
Britain, however, it can also occur in neighbouring countries due to the pollution being carried by
wind currents. Acid rain is responsible for premature erosion of buildings and structures as well as
the degradation of forests and farming land. This presentation endeavours to explore the
development of preventative measures designed to reduce and avert acid rain across the globe.
Environmental effects of Acid Rain and causes
Acid rain causes long term damage to environmental habitats such as forests and lakes. When sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are released into the atmosphere they react with atmospheric
molecules, sulfuric and nitric acid are formed; the equations on the slide show the reactions that
occur between the compounds and HO molecules in the air. These acids are then deposited as either
rain or dust, depending on the climate that they are in. The acids damage every structure they land
on, as a result forests degrade and soil and water sources are poisoned; acid rain can also occur in
cities, eroding buildings and even vehicles.
Flue Gas Desulfurization
In order to prevent acid rain from further impacting the environment, flue gas desulfurization was
employed by numerous countries in order to reduce sulfur emissions. Flue gas desulfurization is the
process of

Reflection Paper On Ecotopia
Reflection Paper on Ecotopia
Ernest Callenbach was an successful American author, editor, and simple living adherent. He's well
known as author of the visionary semi–utopian novel Ecotopia, an environmental classic that has
sold almost a million copies. In his book Ecotopia, Callenbach describes parts of the American
northwest (Northern California, Oregon, and Washington) were to secede from the USA and form a
new nation, called Ecotopia, founded on eco–friendly ideals. And some of the idea would still be
useful to improve the environment.
The book was written in 1974, and the background was set to 25 years in the future, 1999, and the
book was written as diary entries and reports of William Weston, who is a journalist of the New
York Times–Post. Weston is the first American in the history to visit and report Ecotopia. Ecotopia
is a small country that broke away from the United States in 1980. The purpose that Weston visit to
Ecotopia, is to break secrecy of Ecotopia. Since no one has been to Ecotopia after the splite in 1980,
when Weston is about to leave home, the sense of mistrust is so great that many people are trying to
convince Weston to stay home so he won't be eaten by people of Ecotopia. At the time, many people
believe that Ecotopians are practicing cannibalism.
However, after Weston's tripe, American's fear of people in Ecotopia are no longer exist. The rumor
of Ecotopians, such as practice cannibalism, has been proved as pure fantasy. Weston has also
described

Epidemiological Model
The disease and health threat investigation intervention can be applied to the epidemiological model
(Minnesota Department of Health, 2001). SO2 is the agent, the host is those with respiratory
illnesses, asthma, or young children, and the environment is the tourism culture in James Bay. Other
definitions include the "place," which is the James Bay community and the "time" which is the
summer months when tourism peaks. In the disease and health threat investigation intervention, the
nurse should establish what a "case" is through the identification of the above information
(Minnesota Department of Health, 2001). A "case" is a person that is sensitive to poor air quality
whom develops respiratory symptoms, including wheezing and tightness of ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
This intervention give these individuals access to information that would enable them to recognize
when their environment would put them at risk for system exacerbation. The constant monitoring of
air quality would hopefully lead to more regulations that further improve air quality, and thus aid in
the development of a primary prevention strategy to decrease the incidence of respiratory illness
(Berend, 2016; Keller et al.,

Essay on Acid Rain
The world we live in today has become a nest for pollution, toxic waste and environmental
deterioration. In order to improve our planet, acid rain is a main factor to be considered and must be
controlled before the damage worsens. In order to understand what acid rain is, we must first
understand the term "acidity". Acidic is a way to describe chemical compounds and it is measured
on the pH scale, a logarithmic measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in precipitation
(1). This scale is numbered 0 to 14, where substances with values below 7 are considered acidic and
the ones above 7 are basic. Pure rain has a pH between 5.6 and 5.7; therefore, any acid precipitation
with a pH below 5.6 presents concerns (3). Rain itself ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Both forms are carried by wind and can ultimately contaminate our air, our plants, our animals, and
our water (2) (See Appendix A). This paper will mainly focus on the effects of acid on various
aspects of the planet. These effects include surface waters and aquatic animals, forests, automotive
coatings, materials (metals, limestone, etc...), visibility and human health. This paper will also
discuss the societal changes and actions one may take to reduce the danger of acid rain. Effects of
Acid Rain Acid rain affects many facets of the earth including surface waters, aquatic animals,
forests, automotive coatings, several materials (metals, paint, limestone, etc...), visibility and human
health. Surface waters and aquatic animals It is important to note that acid rain's effects on lakes and
aquatic organisms vary widely. In some regions lakes may have an excessive amount of sensitivity
when exposed to acidic deposition, thus, the ecosystem and species will eventually be destroyed.
However, in other regions, some lakes may have a higher threshold to acid rain and therefore, little
effect on the organisms (4). The presence of limestone rock contributes to the lakes' ability in
neutralizing acid (5). A lake's ability to absorb acidity while maintaining its species' life depends on
the amount of bicarbonate (HCO3) present in the water. The bicarbonate is produced in the
watershed when

A Penny Green
Introduction
During this project, the group will be attempting to turn a penny green. Needed in this experiment
will be pennies dated before 1982 because that was when pennies were made of copper. During this
experiment, the group will be mixing together different chemical reactions in order to get the penny
to turn green. The group is trying to create a patina coating on the penny. Patina is referring to the
blue–green layer of corrosion that expands on the surface of copper when it is exposed to oxygen
and sulfur compounds. However, instead of using simply sulfur and oxide compounds, like the
Statue of Liberty, the experimenters will be using a vinegar substitute. The vinegar is being
substituted for the acid rain, the acid is the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The patina is preserving the statue, it is protecting the Statue of Liberty from further deterioration.
Another result of patina, besides the blue–green color, is the mass change of the Statue of Liberty.
Studies have shown that only the top 5% of the skin has oxidized in the first one hundred years since
it was built. Most of this occurred in the first ten to twenty–five years because of early oxidization.
It took about thirty–four years for the very top layer of the skin on the Statue of Liberty to become
completely blue–green.
(Chemistry)
First of all copper must oxidize in order for the process to start. It's a basic reaction of copper to
oxygen. The chemical formula is: 2Cu + O2 ––> 2CuO. The vinegar is very similar to acetate acid.
Together the vinegar and copper would form Copper (II) Acetate. The formula would be
Cu(C2H3O2)2. Also, the patina growth varies dramatically with location and how much copper
sulfate (CuSO4) the object contains. The Statue of Liberty has been exposed to acid rain and oxygen
which forms (over time) patina. The acid rain is the combination of rain and the pollution in the
atmosphere which solidifies enough for form acid rain. The sulfate comes from sulfuric acid in the
acid rain and the sulfate is bound to other components in patina. This is because the copper sulfate is
normally soluble in water. Also, copper carbonate Cu(HCO3)2 does not exist in a solid state, so
when the rain

Guyana's Land Use Issues
As with many third world and developing countries, they face numerous challenges to bring forth
improvement and betterment towards the country. As a result our interest in this topic, it brought us
into researching Guyana because we want to determine how their land use planning is affecting the
country's current development in the areas of environmental, social, economic and settlement. By
doing this we hope to help our audience better understand how proper land use planning is a crucial
factor to promote orderly development of a country. We are researching Guyana's land use issues
because we want to find out how their land issues are affecting the country's ... Show more content
Most factories in Guyana burn coal, petroleum, and factory combustibles, all help to make Guyana
have more sulfur dioxide emissions. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions can have a substandard effect
on citizens of Guyana. Citizens with lung diseases that inhaled SO2 on a daily basis will have more
serious effects on their health. Also children's exposure to SO2 may increase the risk of developing
asthma, because their lungs are still developing. Older adults that breath SO2 with recent lung or
cardiovascular disease that breath SO2, are at risk, and active people, or people who go outside tend
to have exposure to SO2 because they are outside for a long amount of time. The effects of air
pollution are known to be respiratory and heart problems because SO2 is inadequate for your health,
but Guyana is safe for now, because they don't have much air pollution, but they do have lots of
water pollution. Although, nothing has been done to solve air pollution in Guyana. However, the
Guyanese Government is doing a neglectant job to decrease the problem. Water Pollution The water
pollution in Guyana is increasing everyday, by the pollution of the wells in from the salt water
coming in from the ocean, it's polluting the lakes, and rivers. Guyana means land of waters, and if it
is polluted, no one can use the water. If the masses of water get polluted, citizen of Guyana

Essay about Air Pollution
When looking at air pollution, we can see that there are many types, one type is acid rain. Scientists
have discovered that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels mainly in power stations and
industry in countries such as Germany, United Kingdom and other economically developed
countries is the major cause of acid rain. Acidic deposition or acid rain as it is commonly known
occurs when emissions of sulphur dioxide (so2) and oxides of nitrogen (no) react in the atmosphere
with water, oxygen and oxidants to form various acidic compounds, sunlight further accelerates this
process with the introduction of heat. These compounds then fall to the earth in either wet form
(such as rain, snow, and fog) or dry form (such as gas and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
There are also economic implications to acid rain, acidic particles are known to contribute to the
corrosion of metals and deterioration of stone buildings and paint on cars. The corrosion seriously
depreciates the value of buildings and goods which are a value to society e.g. old buildings which
have to be maintained more due to the increase and effects of acid rain, like statues features
becoming less deformed and rounded. Some manufacturers of motor vehicles have had top paint
their cars with acid resistant paint which can protect the car against the corrosive affects of acid rain,
at an average cost of £5 per car produced in the Scandinavian countries which is a total of £61
million per year on top of all new cars sold in the Scandinavian countries. However certain
regulations have been introduced to prevent future increases in damages to materials, "the acid rain
program" will try to reduce emissions of so2 ,the benefits of this program are measured, by the costs
now of repair or damage since the program was introduced.
There are more social effects of acid rain one is that the health of the general population of a country
seems to be worsening due to the air born acidic particles, so2 has now been regulated by the "clean
air act" in 1990,when sulphur dioxide interacts in the atmosphere to form sulphur aerosols, which
may be transported long distances through the air, most of these aerosols

How Acid Rain Causes Damage to Art Essay
Acids are part of our everyday life. Citrit acid is found in lemons, limes, and oranges. Carbonic acid
is found in soda pop. However, acidic gases natuarlly occur in the atmosphere. This acidic process
can be made from plants and animals ("Acids in the Environment," 2011). Generally, rain is is
inherently acidic. Acid rain though, is exactly the same excerpt for a slight increase in acidity.
Neither of them cause burns, however. There are many different types of acid rain, the best known
are sulphurous and sulphuric acid. Sulphurous acid is H2SO3, which is when gas dissolves in the
atomsphere. Sulphuric acid is H2SO4, which is when the atomsphere is oxidated. Like other acidic
substances, acid rain can vary on the pH level, it ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Later he add, "that it would be hard to protect the Statue of Liberty against the effects of the
environment" (Pennisi, 1991, p.101). Livingston says that over the years, erosion with start to
destroy the Statue of Liberty even without acid rain. I personally think that all of the following
causes–acid rain, corrison and the damage of antlerite has all played a part in the wrecking on the
Statue of Liberty.
Acid rain has affected the economical problem on work of arts. According to James H. Gibson of
Colorado State Univerity in Ft. Collins, acid rain has caused one of the most expensive and well–
known economic problems in the world. "According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the
EPA, they have estimated an annual cost of $5 billon dollars and increasing due to fixing of
stuctures damaged by acid deposition" (Petersopn, 1985, p.154). Acid rain has been around in the
world for many of years, how can we solve the issue of acid rain in our environment and help the
companies from spending so much money on preventing acid rain from destroying their artwork?
The whole world has been affected by the acid rain increase, but the United States have been
affected the most. Most of the cities that are affect are right her in our backyard areas. "Twenty U.S.
citites, primarily in the American's

A Short Note On Acid Rain Is Made Up Of Water Droplets Essay
James Jackson
AIU Online
SCIE–210
Unit 4 Individual Project Professor Sandra Flemming December 18, 2016
Acid rain is made up of water droplets that are unusually acidic because of atmospheric pollution,
most notably the excessive amounts of sulfur and nitrogen released by cars and industrial processes.
Acid rain is also called acid deposition because this term includes other forms of acidic precipitation
such as snow.
Acid deposition can be causes by natural sources like volcanoes, but it is mainly caused by the
release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide during fossil fuel combustion. When these gases are
discharged into the atmosphere, they react with the water, oxygen, and other gases already present
there to form sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. These acids then disperse over large
areas because of wind patterns and fall back to the ground as acid rain or other forms of
precipitation.
Human activities or actions are fond as a main cause of acid rain. Since few decades, human efforts
have made many chemicals which have been continuously released to atmosphere where they mix
together and make different compounds where power plants releases sulfur–dioxide and few amount
of nitrogen–oxides then they burn fossil fuels such as coal, for producing electricity. Moreover,
exhaust vehicles also releases the same type of gases into the air. forms of participation.
Acid rain is part of non–point–source pollution that results

Case Study On Sulphur Dioxide
Title
Case Study on Sulphur dioxide
Abstract
A study was done in South Durban using the health risk assessment model adopted from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the Health effects of the air pollution from Sulphur
dioxide. Inhalation has been identified as the Sulphur Dioxide's main route of exposure hence it
affects the respiratory system. Prevalence range of respiratory diseases like asthma, chronic cough,
chronic phlegm, blocked runny nose and sinusitis.
Introduction
Sulphur dioxide is identified to be toxic when it has be breathed in and may cause burns and
irritations to the eyes and respiratory system due to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs. It is
concluded that about 99% of the sulphur dioxide in air comes from human sources and the main
source is industrial activities. Sulphur dioxide is a choking gas and may trigger an asthma attack
(even some hours after exposure). South Durban has several petrochemical refineries and chemical
industries and with its topography of a basin– like shape. The structure aids with the accumulation
of Sulphur dioxide in the air, resulting in and this has been an ongoing concern for South Durban
since the 1980. There was no excess incidence of respiratory ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Here the step basically focus on the concentration and the length of exposure whereas the Australian
deals with the relationship between the dose and the health effects of a substance. The general
population of South Durban that have been spending more time outdoors were showing increased
prevalence of respiratory diseases as SO2 have been inhaled into the body system for a good is more
than the ones that are indoors. Even though there are Air quality guidelines established it is not
legally enforceable so on several circumstances the values have exceed the acceptable standards. So
the dose and the exposure time makes SO2 to be

Acid Precipitation Essay example
Sitting in your room late at night, you listen to the gentle pittter–patter of the rain on your window.
Ahh, so soothing and relaxing. Have you ever really wondered what the rain is really made of? Is
that just water or is it acid slowly streaming down out there? That rain you hear just might be acid
rain, it could change the way you live your life.
The commonly used terms "acid rain" and "acid precipitation" describe specific forms of a type of
pollution described generally as "acid deposition." Harmful gases that rise into the air mix with
cloud moisture, sunlight, and oxidants. There they chemically combine into dilute sulfuric and nitric
acids, which fall back to the earth. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Each year the Sudbury plant gave off 1% of the entire world's sulfur dioxide emissions, including
both natural and human sources (Morgan, 24).
At a staggering 1,250 ft, "Superstack" is almost as tall as the Empire State Building. Its
main purpose was to act as a giant chimney to take all toxins higher into the atmosphere so that we
humans would not have to breathe them. The air quality around the smelter was much better and
plant life started growing back. The problem was, the sulfur dioxide was then blown whichever the
winds happened to be going. Most of the time those winds to the sulfur dioxide across state borders
and into Canada (Morgan, 27) Scientists then used satellite photography to trace the weather
patterns back to where the sulfur dioxide originated. The acid falling back down to earth, whether it
is in dry or wet form has drastic consequences for many.
A rainstorm occurs in a forest. The summer rains wash the leaves of the branches and fall to the
forest floor below. Some of the water is absorbed into the soil while other water run–off enters
nearby streams, rivers, or lakes. When acid rain is absorbed into the ground, it slowly poisons the
tree by being absorbed through the roots. Acidic rainwater also dissolves the nutrients and minerals
that the plants need from the soil. When acid rain is frequent, leaves tend to lose their protective
waxy coating.

Forest Pollution And Its Effects On Forest Ecosystem
Samara Alghazali
Forest pollution
Pollution
Section 1
Pollution effects on forest ecosystem
One of the most significant concerns that have existed in the ecosystem for decades now is the issue
of pollution. Pollution in itself is the destruction of the normal concentration and manifestation of
factors such as water, soil, air and others in the ecosystem. This destruction largely arises from the
human activities that often lead to misbalance, increased wastes concentration and improper
positioning of the necessary and unnecessary additions to the environment. This often leads to the
destruction of biodiversity, which is an important balance to the whole cycle of living organisms in
that they support each other for their co–existence. If at all the number of animals reduce in the
world to a very small number then a threat is posed to the living organisms since it will translate to it
having to reduce also (Turner 2014).
Recently a research was carried out, and the scientist found out that there was only 31% of the forest
cover in the world (Song et al. 2014). The percentage shows that over half of the world's forest
cover has been consumed over the years and things are not getting any better since people are still
venturing the forest (Song et al. 2014). There is many types of pollution that could effect the forest
ecosystem and if the pollution will still increase that will lead to a manmade forest.
Deforestation
Research shows that approximately 7.6 hectares of

Acid Rain Essay
In describing acid precipitation pollutant chosen it is more commonly known as acid rain
representing a form of secondary pollution (EB,2013). Nitrogen and sulfur oxides are released into
the atmosphere reacting to water and other components forming acids (EB, 2013). Acid rain refers
to two different processes that enable the acid suspended in the atmosphere to deposit on the Earth's
surface water dries (EB, 2013). Wet acid decomposition fades to the Earth's surface when it rains
snows or fogs (EB, 2013). The dry acid deposition occurs when the acid particles drop to the Earth's
surface as gas or a particulate form (EB, 2013). Acid decompositions and precipitation aren't
constrained by international boundaries (EB, 2013). Many nations use fossil fuel do not have the
legislation in place of air pollution limiting meaning that can contributes to the acid deposition and
precipitation both locally and in other countries (EB, 2013). The Nations that haven't' taken any.
Consideration of limiting air pollution resulting acid deposition that will affect the global
environment (EB, 2013). Once the acid compounds are released they are deposited into the soil and
bodies of water increasing the acidity resources (EB,2013). Acid water is not potable for humans
(EB, 2013). Acid precipitation is both point and non–point pollution. The point pollutions of is from
factories and the non–point the acid rain makes water more acidic and release aluminum can be
toxic to fish (Acosta,

Mercury : The Element Mercury
Mercury: The element mercury has the chemical symbol Hg; it is a silver colour and is a liquid at
room temperature. Mercury has a high density and surface tension and can easily break up into
small droplets. Mercury can dissolve some metals resulting in amalgams, metal alloys of mercury. It
is not soluble in water or most other liquids, but will dissolve in lipids (fats and oils). With
fluctuations in temperature, mercury expands and contracts evenly with these changes and is classed
as a non–combustible liquid. (Mercury characteristics) When mercury enters the environment from
emissions in the air, water or soil, it oxidises into other compounds of mercury. Both mercury and its
compounds have high acute (short–term) and have high chronic (long–term) toxicity on aquatic life.
Eating fish contaminated with mercury has caused poisoning in humans; birds and land animals
exposed in the same manner could also be subject to the same effects. Mercury and its compounds
are highly persistent in water and the environment and will bio accumulate or concentrate in the
tissues of fish. These concentrations will be considerably higher than the water from which the fish
is taken. Mercury chloride will act as a particle, following wind patterns, and being deposited by
rain. Elemental mercury may be a gas in the atmosphere. Emissions of mercury and or mercury
compounds can produce elevated, but still low–level concentrations in the atmosphere around the
source. Elemental mercury can

Cause And Effect Of Air Pollution
On certain days one may notice it seems to be a little harder to breath when you're outside for a
while. Or if one is outside for a while they start to cough and get a tickle in the back of their throat.
Those are symptoms of a bad air pollution day. These are days when the air pollution could be
higher because of certain circumstances. There are different kinds of air pollution and all of it has
effects on one's health.
Air pollution is caused by many different types of things such as our cars and coal burning plants
but it can also be caused by natural causes such as a wildfires. The ozone unfortunately catches the
most air pollution and this is due to our car emissions chemically reacting with the sunlight. This
bad for the population because this type of pollution gathers close to ground and is considered to get
worse in the summer time. Children, elderly and people who spend lots of time outside are most at
risk of becoming sick. Children can experience coughing and wheezing. If they have asthma the
pollution can cause their asthma to worsen. If they continue to be outside for long periods of time
during the bad ozone days it can result in permanent lung damage. Elderly who already have
existing issues such as lung disease are at risk because it can worse their symptoms. People who are
healthy but spend most of their time outside can notice that they are coughing more and this because
the bad ozone has inflamed their lungs. Bad ozone is worse around heavily populated

Acid Rain In Water Pollution
If someone claimed that rain can cause the death of aquatic ecosystems, would you be skeptical?
Fossil fuels are being burned around the world to generate power, polluting the atmosphere. In
comparison to the other fossil fuels, coal is the dirtiest pollutant. According to the Canadian
Encyclopedia it states, "Once the pH falls below approximately 5.5, both the amount and diversity
of vegetation, zooplankton, amphibians and fish decreases." So, in fact, rain can cause damage if the
power of hydrogen (pH) is lowered making it acid rain, this was a problem in Quebec. Quebec is
one of the places hit the hardest because the water and soil is not strong enough to neutralize the
sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. At the time America was industrializing, creating coal–burning
power plants and increasing the use of motor vehicles. This was great until the sulfuric smoke was
going into the atmosphere causing acid rain in Quebec.
To further understand Quebec's environmental problem the process of the fossil fuels need to be
established. Sulfuric Acid and Nitric Acid are the main reasons why acid rain occurred in Eastern
Canada. While, sulfuric acid is produced when coal is burnt in power houses, nitric acid comes from
the exhaust pipes in vehicles. Coal is burned releasing sulfur particles into the air joining oxygen as
sulfur dioxide. Afterward, more oxygen bonds to the sulfur dioxide it becomes sulfur tri oxide,
dissolving in the water forming sulfuric acid. Naturally rain is

Acid rain is pollution Essay
Acid rain is a common term for pollution caused when sulfur and nitrogen dioxides combine with
atmospheric moisture to produce a rain, snow, or hail of sulfuric and nitric acids. Such pollution
may also be suspended in a fog, or the pollutants may be deposited in dry form. Environmental
damage from acid rain has been reported in northern Europe and North America. High levels of acid
rain have also been detected in other areas of the world, such as above the tropical rain forest of
Africa. Acid rain has destroyed plant and animal life in lakes, damaged forests and crops,
endangered marine life in coastal waters, eroded structures, and contaminated drinking water.
Research has shown that although some of the damage attributed to acid rain ... Show more content
Scientists agree that acid rain is harmful, but reports concerning its severity conflict. A U.S.
government report issued in September 1987 minimized the environmental damage caused by acid
rain and concluded that the acid–rain problem is not increasing.
A 1988 survey conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency, however, indicated that streams
in the eastern United States were more acidic than was previously believed. In 1990 the National
Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP), created by Congress in 1980, issued a report on
the results of its study. The report indicated that acidic waters also occur in the southern and
midwestern United States, but downplayed acid–rain damage to forests. Many scientists urge that
measures to control acid rain begin immediately. The most direct action would be to cut off
pollution at the source.
Regulations require that new coal–burning plants must install expensive scrubbers in their
smokestacks to remove most of the dioxides (see POLLUTION CONTROL). Other possible
measures include burning only low–sulfur oil or coal, or removing the sulfur from coal with high
sulfur content. Amendments have been proposed to the 1970 Clean Air Act that are designed to
reduce sulfur and nitrogen emissions. The costs of such measures are considerable, however, and
who should pay them continues to arouse controversy.
Bibliography: Bubenick, D.

Essay On Sulfur Dioxide In Environment
The Sulfur Dioxide in Environment
The sulfur dioxide was regarded as the acknowledged toxic gas, and is also one of main factors for
acid rain. Due to its severe toxicity, the major pollution incidents have even happened in human
beings' history. During 1st December and 15th December 1930, the toxic gases including the sulfur
dioxide caused great loss for Meuse Valley in Belgium. The toxic gases led to thousands of people
in the industrial zone of Meuse Valley were catched with respiratory diseases, and "nearly 63 people
were dead within a week". ( Benery B, HoetPH, Nemmar A. 2001) Additionally, many livestocks
also could not survived and died of the toxic gases. In the incident, the mixture of SO2 and SO3
were the main dioxide smog. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
And the production process and process operation can also release certain sulfur dioxide. In daily
life, the automobile exhaust also contain certain sulfur dioxide. With the popularization of
automobile, the automobile exhaust has been one of main pollution sources for the environment.
The sulfur dioxide has great detriment for plants and human beings. Its toxicity is large and has
corrosivity and decomposability. "Sulphur is a highly noxious venom for people's health, although
we can be more resistant than other creatures that live with us. For example, the level of 0,3 µg per
cubic metre of air implies a potential risk for human health, but for trees, 0,2 µg is extremely
dangerous. In 1956, the London smog (caused by sulfuric acid mist) led to more than 4700 deaths.
The pollution of sulfur dioxide has direct effect on human beings and animals' life. When human
body absorbs the sulfur trioxide or sulfuric acid mist formed by sulfur dioxide, its stimulation and
detriment would be more significant, even though its density is only 1/10 of sulfur dioxide. Some
experiments have proved that the physiological reaction caused by sulfuric acid mist is four times of
sulfur dioxide. If he density of sulfur dioxide increases double each year, the death rate would
increase by 11%.
The sulfur dioxide not only has detriment for human begins and animals, but also has detriment for
plants. There has been experiment on the effect of sulfur dioxide on tomato. "Sulphur

The Reason and Response for Acid Rain Essay
Acid Rain is basically rain that has been made acidic by Sulfur DiOxide ( SO2 ) and other
pollutants. Acid rain is formed by the release of ( SO2 ) and ( NO2 ) into the atmosphere. Then the
chemicals are absorbed into the rainwater and create acid rain. Acid rain , mostly comes from the
chemicals emitted into the air by coal fired power plants. Now there is a big push for clean coal and
these power plants have mostly accomplished that. The power plants have scrubbers, covered in
limestone that remove or " scrub" the sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide and other harmful chemicals out
of the coall Also acid rain is often mistaken by people to be " green rain that burns you when it
contacts your skin and body" but that is incorrect. Acid rain ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Acid rain , mostly comes from the chemicals emitted into the air by coal fired power plants. Now
there is a big push for clean coal and these power plants have mostly accomplished that. The Clean
Coal Act of 2007 requires that the new coal fired electric generating unit produce not more than 285
pounds of Carbon Dioxide per megawatt– hour to supply the grid. _ Clean Coal Act sponsored by
Senator John Kerry. The power plants have scrubbers, covered in limestone that remove or " scrub"
the sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide and other harmful chemicals out of the coal. Acid Rain kills the
trees indirectly periphrastically by damaging the leaves and depriving the trees of nutrients.
The purpose of this project was to determine if location affects the PH of rainwater . My hypothesis
was that the water off of Route Two would be more acidic .
Background Information
Erosion is the removal and transportation of weathered and unweathered material by wind, gravity,
water, ice and waves. Things that affect the earth through erosion may be topography, agricultural
processes, deforestation and urbanization.
The topography of the land determines the velocity at which surface runoff will flow. This in turn
determines the erosivity of the runoff. Unsustainable agricultural practices are the single greatest
contributor to global increase. This includes; pesticide and chemical fertilizer usage, farming on

The Environmental Protection Agency ( Epa ) Essay
During and since World War II the United States has produced millions of tons of toxic wastes
during the manufacturing and processing of products. These hazards were often left abandoned and
no one really paid attention to their effect on our environment. In the 1980s Congress established a
Superfund Program. It was left for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer the
superfund program, to find these hazardous sites, investigate and determine the worst ones, and then
clean up those sites across the United States. Over 15,000 sites were identified and 1,400 were
named to the National Priorities List (NPL). One of the towns was Picher Oklahoma named in the
Tar Creek Superfund Site. Picher and the neighboring towns covering over a 50 square mile area
became known as the Tar Creek Superfund Site and were officially put on the NPL on 8 September
1983 ("challenge posed to children's health by mixtures of toxic waste: the Tar Creek Superfund Site
as a case–study," n.d.). All of the information was finally out. The hazards were known. It was time
for the clean up to begin. Where do you begin when a problem is this large? The Environmental
Protection Agency was tasked to take the lead in the clean–up. It was easy to identify the hazards:
contaminated water, contaminated soil, possible area collapse, and the lead laced chat piles. To
begin the Superfund site cleanup the EPA started with monitoring of the surface water, acid mine
water discharge, and

Effect Of Sulfur Dioxide Pollution On Lichen
Our findings support the difference in the amounts of traffic between the northern side and southern
side of Central Park, with lichens in the southern side more resistant to sulfur dioxide, and with
lichens in the northern side more sensitive to sulfur dioxide. Due to the nature of the lichens in the
southern side, as they can survive with Nitrogen oxide can also be a harmful pollutant found in large
cities. Lichens are affected by the amount of nitrogenous pollutants in an area, similar to how they
are affected by sulfur dioxide. In future studies, we could potentially assess both sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen dioxide levels in the atmosphere by assessing the lichen population within that area. This
can provide a larger amount of information ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
We would also would have traveled in a larger variety of places throughout the park, in order to
gather a more diverse amount of lichen species and to assess the quality of air throughout a larger
part of New York City. This would allow us to gather a better sense of the sulfur dioxide pollution in
the area of each area of the park. If we were to redo this project, we would have brought sharper
tools to use when collecting lichens from Central Park. The knife that we brought was fairly dull and
we found that we had a very difficult time removing many of the lichens from the surface which
they resided on. Another way we could have further improved our experiment was rather than trying
to specifically negate variables ourselves, by collecting in specific areas, have statistics negate them.
If we had chose random areas in the park to collect lichens, statistically, it would have negated many
of our variables we tried to avoid, and many other lurking

Reducing Acid Rain Through Mining And Smelting Industries
Tarlin Saini
Ms.McCuaig
SCH3U1–01
24 November 2014
Reducing Acid Rain through Mining and Smelting Industries http://miningandacidrain.weebly.com
What is Acid Rain?
Acid rain is rain that has been made acidic by certain pollutants in the air and has low pH levels that
can harm the environment. It is a type of acid deposition that can appear in many forms such as, wet
deposition, which can be rain, sleet snow or fog that is more acidic than normal, and dry deposition,
where gases and dust particles become acidic. (Epa.gov) Acid deposition in wet and dry forms, falls
on buildings, cars and trees and makes lakes acidic, which then leads to the danger of plant and
animal life. Dry acid deposition though, can be inhaled by humans, which can then cause health
problems. (Epa.gov)
How is Acid Rain Created?
When fossil fuels are burned to create electricity pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides are released into the air. They then mix with oxygen and water in the air to form acid rain.
These chemicals can travel long distances in the rain before being deposited. (Epa.gov)
There are several different pollutants that can lead to acid rain such as SO2, SO3, NO2, and CO2.
These pollutants react with water to create acids as shown below.
Sulfur dioxide + water  sulfurous acid
Sulfur trioxide + water  sulfuric acid
Nitrogen dioxide + water  nitric acid + nitrous acid
Carbon dioxide + water  carbonic acid
Although Mining does not directly create acid rain, it does lead

Notes On Properties And Formation Of Sulfur Oxides
LaGuardia Community College – CUNY
SCC201 General Chemistry I
Properties and Formation of Sulfur Oxides
Taylor Radigan
12/07/2014
Instructor: Dr. D. Miller Background Information
"Sulfur is capable of forming two common oxides, SO2 and SO3. One question that we might ask is
whether the direct reaction between sulfur and oxygen leads to the formation of SO2, SO3, or a
mixture of the two. This question has practical significance because SO3 can go onto react with
water to form sulfuric acid, H2SO4, which is produced industrially on a very large scale. Consider
also that the answer to this question may depend on the relative amount of each element that is
present and the temperature at which the reaction ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In concentrations above 25% of air by volume, oxygen renders many organic compounds highly
flammable. Oxygen is required by most living organisms for cellular respiration as well as for most
forms of combustion. It is very commonly used in the steel industry and to create a large number of
chemicals. In the form of ozone (O3), it forms a thin layer around the earth, protecting it from the
ultraviolet radiation of the sun. (Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility – Office of Science
Education, n.d.) When oxygen is reacted with acetylene (C2H2), the reaction produces a
tremendously hot flame used for welding. (Royal Society of Chemistry, n.d.)
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is one of the products of the reaction between sulfur and oxygen. At room
temperature, it is a colorless gas that has the odor of burnt matches. Sulfur dioxide mixes with
atmospheric water vapor and is a key component of acid rain. (Thompson, 2003) It is the third most
common gas produced during volcanic eruptions, behind water vapor (H2O) and carbon dioxide
(CO2). (U.S. Geological Survey, 2010) In large volcanic eruptions, sulfur dioxide is converted to
sulfuric acid and forms fine sulfate aerosols. These aerosols reflect the sun's radiation back into
space and result in in cooling of the earth's surface below them. (U.S. Geological Survey,

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Sulphuric Acid
Uses of sulphuric acid
Sulphuric acid is a very useful, referred as universal chemical because it is a commonly used
chemical in the world and is used in a lot of manufacturing industries, for example, car battery,
manufacturing fertilisers, refining crude oil, making phosphoric acid etc. This chemical is also
known as one of the most important industrial chemical. This acid has helped us in many ways,
making things easier for us.
What is sulphuric acid?
Sulphuric acid is a chemical compound, H2SO4. It is colourless, odourless and very corrosive
causing burn. It is an oily liquid and is sometimes called oil of vitriol. Sulphuric acid can be
produced by Contact Process.
Combustion Chamber
(combustion of sulphur)
––>
Converter
(conversion ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Positive environmental impacts
This product of sulphuric acid, phosphoric fertiliser, can make fertile land. It can help farmers by
making more land for them to grow crops. More soil nutrients are available for farmers to use. The
farmers are able to use more land for farming efficiently instead of planting in small spots. Besides,
the plant growth can be improved to protect the soil. More different plants can grow. The
biodiversity can be increased.
Negative environmental Impacts
Even though this chemical is very helpful to farmers and is good for crop production. Over using
chemical fertiliser can cause a lot of pollutions. For example water pollution occurs when the
fertilisers are washed into rivers or sea. Besides, plants or crops do not absorb the fertiliser one
hundred percent. They only absorbs a portion of the fertilisers leaving some remaining in the soil.
When the fertiliser goes into the water, micro organism can grow like algae. This can cause
eutrophication because the algae grows faster on the fertiliser washed into the sea. This can cause

the algae to take up a lot of oxygen from the water. This can cause lack of oxygen in the water for
the fish, suffocating the fish that lives in the area. The ecosystem will be disturbed due to the large
numbers of death of

A Brief Note On The Air Quality Division
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT UNIT 6 2
Written Assignment Unit 6
I introduced myself to Mrs. Lee Warden, an Engineering Supervisor of the Oklahoma
DEQ's (Department of Environmental Quality) Air Quality Division (AQD) (DEQ, 2016d; EPA,
2016a). We talked for over half an hour about various air quality issues. The Air Quality Division
regulates sources that are exhausting into the air by enforcing federal environmental regulations that
are set by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). They regulate sources that are either natural
or man made by installing electronic monitors around the state that gather air quality data and
working with other groups and businesses. Know locations of regular or dangerous air pollutants,
population densities ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This mixes with the natural gas and escapes into the atmosphere. In fact, because we have such
abundant natural gas and coal sources, Oklahoma has been required to put together a plan
addressing these emissions. At present only part of the plan has been approved by the EPA (EPA,
2016b). Further rewrites are underway (EPA, 2016b). NOx and CO2 are from automobiles,
industrial sources and other combustion. Because our main cities are spread out over a lot of land,
most people have to use cars. Public transportation isn't very practical. O3 is formed when oxygen
in the atmosphere interacts with NOx and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). As such, it take
some special conditions to form, but it still common enough in our modern landscapes for the EPA
to require states to monitor (DEQ, 2016c).
The DEQ has daily monitoring data, monitoring archives, and comparison to the EPA's national
data. Our state has met the increasingly strict EPA air quality guidelines for the last several years. (I
actually don't know when the last time we failed was.) Emergency plans are in place when a state
doesn't meet the annual guidelines. Furthermore, any failing state is put on a
3–year probationary period until a recheck is done. During this period, it is more difficult for
businesses to get certified, which affects the long–term economy of any state that fails the EPA
standards. The guidelines are called the 'national attainment levels.'
The Oklahoma DEQ works with the

Air Pollution Management : The Definition Of Air Pollution...
Air pollution management
The presence of compounds or toxic chemicals in the air, at high levels such that they pose a threat
to the living beings is called air pollution. In simple words, the meaning of air pollution can be
defined as the presence of compound or chemicals in the air which are unusual and lower the quality
of the air or cause hazardous changes to the quality of life like depleting the ozone layer or leading
to the problem of global warming.
The society is confronting a lot of problems these days but one of these problems and probably the
most serious problems being faced is that of air pollution. Usually, it's causes are human activities
such as transportation, mining, construction, agriculture, industrial work, smelting. It is also caused
by natural processes such as wildfires and volcanic eruptions. But human activities remain the main
factor to add up to air pollution because occurrence of these natural activities is quite rare and their
effect is local and contribute to the global pollution of the air every single day.
Most Common Types of Air Pollutants
Air may be polluted by various contaminants in various forms. Most of the toxic chemicals are
capable of making their way into the atmosphere to pollute the air. Clouds of liquid and solid
particles in a gas, also known as aerosol particles are found in the air may also contain pollutants.
Such substances that pollute the air are called air pollutants and these compounds can broadly be of
the following two major categories
1. Gaseous form
2. Solid form
Air pollutants exist in high amount around us and some of the most common air pollutants are
oxides of sulphur, oxides of nitrogen, carbon dioxide (causes greenhouse effect), methane etc.
Rapidly increasing air pollution is deadly for human life and there is an urgent need to act against it.
Air pollution leads to about 7 million deaths every year. Effective strategies need to be developed to
tackle the problem of air pollution.
Air pollution management
The two major causes of air pollution are vehicles and industries so, in order to control air pollution,
the silencer of the vehicle and chimney of the industries need to follow the parameters of the
standard emissions and emit strictly

Essay on Acid Rain
Acid rain is a problem that has plagued earth for years. It is poisoning our waters, animals, plants,
soil, and more. It is a problem that can not be ignored or it might have catastrophic results on our
environment. Acid rain is caused by air pollution, which is due to man–made actions.
Scientists have discovered that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels is the major cause of
acid rain. Power plants and factories burn coal and oil, which is used to produce the electricity we
need to heat and light our homes and to run our electric appliances. We also burn natural gas, coal,
and oil to heat our homes, and our cars, trucks, boats, and airplanes use gasoline to run, which is
another fossil fuel. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Eventually there is so much mucus that it clogs the gills. When this occurs, the fish can no longer
breath. It dies and then sinks to the bottom of the lake. Scientist predict that acid rain is one of the
leading causes the possible extinction of fish. This does not only affect the fish in the water, it
affects everything including humans. These lakes and streams are not just homes for aqualife but
they are our sources of water too.
Another very large problem is the effect of acid rain on trees. When a tree's roots absorb water from
the ground it is taking in its source of life, and when acid rain rains around that tree, its life source is
poisoned. Tree's leaves and needles begin to drop off, and seedlings fail to produce new trees. The
acid also reacts with many nutrients the trees need, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. This
starves the trees, and they become much more susceptible to other forms of damage, such as being
blown down, or breaking under the weight of snow. Also forests in high mountain regions receive
additional acid from the acidic clouds and fog that often surround them. These clouds and fog are
often more acidic than rainfall. When leaves are frequently bathed in this acid fog, their protective
waxy coating can wear away. The loss of the coating damages the leaves and creates brown spots.
When the leaves are damaged, they cannot produce enough food energy for the tree to remain
healthy.

The Differences Of Sulfur ( Sulphur ) Allergy?
What is Sulfur (Sulphur) Allergy? The Difference Between Sulfa, Sulfite, Sulfate, and Sulfur!
What is Sulphur (sulfur) allergy? Are you allergic to Sulfa, Sulfite, Sulfate, or Sulfur? Which one
causes an allergy? There's quite a bit of confusion about the difference between these compounds
because their names sound similar. Many people think if they are allergic to sulfa drugs or sulfites
and thus it is necessary for them to avoid dietary supplements containing sulfates or sulfur such as
glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, and organic sulfur.
In this article, I am going to explain the difference between these four substances and hopefully it
will clear up some of the confusion.
Sulfa Drugs (Sulfonamides)
Sulfa drugs were the first antibiotics to treat and prevent bacterial infections in humans.
Sulfa drugs contain a chemical group called sulfonamide, which is not usually allergenic by itself,
but when a sulfonamide molecule is metabolized in the body, it is capable of binding to proteins,
thus forming a larger molecule that can serve as an allergen.
Sulfa drugs (sulfonamide) do contain sulfur, but the allergic reaction is not sulfur per se, rather it is
the byproduct of sulfonamide metabolism.
Symptoms of sulfa allergy include:
Headache
Hives
Rash
Swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, and throat
Wheezing or difficulty breathing
Drop in blood pressure
Asthma attack in people with asthma
Anaphylaxis (a severe, life–threatening reaction that requires immediate

Chemical Processes And Its Effects On The Industrial Age
In order to power the industrial age, humans have burned gigantic amounts of coal to produce any
form of power. Coal naturally contains high amounts of sulphur and burning of coal produces huge
amounts of heat and the sulphur present in the coal combines with the atmospheric oxygen to
produce Sulphur Dioxide. The smoke stacks of a power plant throw out all the waste gases into the
atmosphere which contains huge amounts of Sulphur Dioxide. It is said that thermal power plants
are the largest contributor of Sulphur Dioxide into the atmosphere. It is estimated that more than half
of the total amount of Sulphur Dioxide generated in the atmosphere comes directly from thermal
power plants that run on coal.
Another anthropological source of Sulphur Dioxide gas as a pollutant is from paper production. The
paper mills that produce pulp wood through a chemical process, normally combust their spent
pulping liquor in a combustion unit. The most widely used chemical processes are Kraft Pulping
process, Sulphite Pulping and Neutral Sulphite Semi–Chemical Pulping (NSSC Pulping). Among
these, Kraft Pulping process is the most widely used process as it can be used to make strong and
durable paper products. This process consists of digestion of wood, or any other cellulite substance
in a solution of sodium sulphite and sodium hydroxide, the waste products of which produce
harmful pollutants including sulphur compounds. Sulphite Pulping and NSSC Pulping produce
paper for the printing industry

Acid Rain: the Southern Company (a) Case Analysis Essay...
Acid Rain: The Southern Company (A) Case Analysis | Production Processes and Costs | | | |
|
Executive Summary
In the year 1992, the Southern Company that held the Bowen plant, a coal–fired steam electric plant
had to decide on the various options available to comply with the amendments in the Clean Air Act,
effective 1995.
The Bowen plant was an unusually large plant with a capacity to serve the residential, commercial
and industrial demands of 1 million people. The Bowen generators consumed 8.338 million tons of
coal and generated 21,551 million kilowatt–hours of electricity. During 1990, Bowen plant emitted
over 30 tons of sulfur dioxide per hour, an important precursor of acid rain. In 1990, Congress
passes the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In this, they will be generating excess of allowed emission level in Phase 1 (1995–1999) and would
have to buy those allowances. Starting Phase 2 (year 2000), they would be in a state to sell the
allowances. * Switch to low–sulfur coal from Kentucky or West Virginia. The emissions would be
lower than the amount permitted in Phase One, but in Phase Two they would have to buy
allowances.
To calculate the total costs involved for each of the three options, I have considered only those
factors that are not common in all. I have calculated only the excess of cost that might be required to
deploy an option.
The current operating costs and all costs that do not change amongst the options have been left out
as these costs would remain same and will have no effect on the decision.
Data Requirement or Sources
The data used to perform analysis has been taken from the case study only. The factors available are:
* Switching cost of coal: switching from high sulfur to low sulfur. * Costs or revenue involved with
buying or selling, respectively, the sulfur dioxide emission allowances. * Depreciation on capital
costs * Capital costs involved to upgrade the plant with scrubbers or existing machinery. *
Additional operating costs * Energy consumptions (Revenue lost) when using scrubbers. * Federal
and state taxes

The Environmental Effects Of Acid Rain On The Earth
The term 'acid rain' refers to the atmospheric deposition of acidic constituents that impact the earth
as rain, snow, particulates, gases, and vapor. The bulk of the acidity in rain comes from the reaction
of sulfur dioxide (SO2) with hydrogen peroxide in clouds, a reaction that produces sulfuric acid.
Even though sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide occur in the air naturally, burning fossil fuels adds
more of these chemicals into to the air. When these pollutants are released into the air, they mix and
react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form acid rain. Acid rain then falls to the Earth
where it can damage plants, animals, soil, water, and building materials. The Air quality policies
implemented in North America and Europe in the recent decades and more recently in parts of Asia
have resulted in decreases in atmospheric Sulfur and Nitrogen deposition described in the previous
section. These policies were designed to minimize further harm from acid rain and to promote
ecosystem recovery. Regions that have been most affected by acidic deposition include Europe,
eastern North America, and Southeast Asia, especially central and southern China. Sulphur
emissions have played the dominant role in the acidic deposition in these regions.
In theory, airborne chemicals could cause several types of detrimental effects on aquatic or
terrestrial ecosystems. These effects could include visible symptoms of injury, decreased growth,
and alteration of physiological processes

Acid Rain
Acidification of the surface of the water is a major problem in areas of the northeastern United
States, in eastern Canada, and in southern Scandinavia, it also occurs in other parts of the world as
well (Baker & Schofield, 1982). The acidification on the surface of water causes many fish
populations to decline in soft–water aquatic environments, that are exposed to acid precipitation
(Neville & Campell, 1988). This acidification of the surface water is caused by acid rain. Acid rain
or otherwise known as acid deposition is a term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic
components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that comes down from the atmosphere in wet or dry
forms. These forms include rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that can be acidic. Acid rain is caused
by when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are put into the atmosphere and then
transported by wind and air currents. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water, oxygen
and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These chemicals then mix with water and other
materials before falling into the ground. A small portion of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can
cause acid rain from natural sources like volcanoes, but most of it comes from the burning of fossil
fuel (Feely, et al., 2010). Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are two of the major sources associated
towards acid rain. Atmospheric deposition of the sulfur and nitrogen molecules is derived from
coal–fired

Env Sci Help
WRIGHT, Environmental Science
Chapter 21 Atmospheric Pollution
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the
question.
1) Acid precipitation refers
A) to any precipitation which is more acidic than neutral.
B) to any precipitation which is more acidic than normal.
C) only to precipitation which is strongly acidic.
D) to a new kind of irrigation.
E) to a precipitation which causes particularly severe erosion.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
2) The chemical component which is responsible for BASIC properties is
A) hydroxyl ions (OH–).
B) sulfur oxide (SO).
C) hydrogen ions (H+).
D) nitrogen oxide (NO).
E) carbon dioxide.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
3) The pH of normal precipitation is
A) slightly acidic.
B) ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Answer: C
Diff: 1
14) The overall or net annual concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is being
A) decreased by respiration.
B) decreased by pollution.
C) increased by burning fossil fuels.
D) increased by photosynthesis.
E) none of the above

Answer: C
Diff: 1
15) Temperature changes during the last century have been shown to correlate with
A) destruction of ozone in the atmosphere.
B) carbon dioxide and volcanic emissions.
C) halocarbon production.
D) nitrous oxide production.
E) all of the above
Answer: B
Diff: 2
16) We produce carbon dioxide when we
A) drive our automobiles.
B) heat our houses with oil or gas.
C) get energy from the food we eat.
D) A and B only
E) A, B, and C
Answer: E
Diff: 3
17) Which of the following is/are conjecture (speculation) as opposed to documented fact?
A) The carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere is increasing.
B) The recent drought in midwestern North America, Africa, and Australia was caused by the
greenhouse effect.
C) Carbon dioxide absorbs infrared radiation.
D) Levels of infrared absorbing gases other than carbon dioxide are increasing.
E) all of the above
Answer: B
Diff: 2
18) Ozone in the UPPER atmosphere
A) is a pollutant.
B) is necessary to screen out ultraviolet radiation.
C) is necessary to maintain the temperature of the Earth.
D) is necessary to maintain ocean circulation.
E) none of the above
Answer: B
Diff: 2
19) Which of the following will probably not be a consequence of extreme ozone

Niagra Escarpment Comission
According to the Niagara Escarpment Commission, "The Niagara Escarpment stretches 725 km
through Southern Ontario's landscape, from Queenston in the Niagara Region up to Tobermory in
the Bruce Peninsula. It stands prominent against Ontario's rather flat topography. It is not only a
prominent and significant feature in Ontario's landscape, but is also recognized on a national level as
one of Canada's premier biosphere reserves, highlighted by UNESCO".
UNESCO biosphere reserves are considered some of the major ecosystems in the world. According
to UNESCO, biosphere reserves are "sites of excellence where new and optimal practices to manage
nature and human activities are tested and demonstrated". However when an individual's actions are
expected to negatively impact the Niagara Escarpment, limitations must be imposed on the
individual in order to preserve the biosphere for the greater good of the world. Humans must respect
and follow the regulations of an UNESCO biosphere reserve in order to maintain it. Before one
looks to expand on the Niagara Escarpment, economic, social, cultural, and environmental factors
should be considered.
Economically, new land expansion is always viewed as beneficial. When companies or industries
look to build new factories or houses, their end goal is always to make a profit. However, individual
advancement in this case has to be sacrificed for the greater good of the rest of the stakeholders. For
example, mining industries and residential lots

The Problem of Acid Rain
Acid rain is a widespread problem, one that plagues the environment the world over. Acid Rain is
the resultant by–product of burning fossil fuel which in–turn mixes with moisture in the atmosphere
and falls to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, etc. Acid deposition is a more precise name than acid
rain because acid can precipitate in several forms, as stated previously. It can also combine with dry
particles and fall to the ground; therefore it is called dry deposition whereas acid coming down in
rain is called wet deposition.
Generally, the public has known about air pollution since the Roman philosopher, Seneca, remarked
on his hometown's polluted skies in AD 61. Even though people were aware of the problem, they
chose to remain ignorant to its effects and repercussions. Up until the last century people have
ignored the problem of air pollution including air pollution's most dangerous problem, acid rain.
Acid rain is devastating to the ecosystem and is one of the most pressing environmental issues
today.
Acid rain forms in the atmosphere from chemicals created by the burning of fossil fuels. When coal
and oil are burned they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and two nitric oxides, nitric oxide (NO) and
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) designated by the symbol NOX. These dangerous chemicals come from the
smoke that pours from factory chimneys and exhaust from car tail pipes. Once released, sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with other chemicals in the air, water

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