Acid rain, characterized by elevated hydrogen ion levels, is primarily caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from industrial activities, transportation, and natural sources. Its detrimental effects include harm to soil, aquatic life, and plant health, leading to ecological imbalances, declining wildlife populations, and damage to historical monuments like the Taj Mahal. Mitigation strategies involve cleaner energy sources, pollution control technologies, and public awareness campaigns to reduce emissions and restore affected environments.

3. A RAIN OR OTHER TYPES OF
PRECIPITATION THAT CONTAIN
ELEVATED HYDROGEN ION
LEVELS ARE REFERRED TO AS
ACID RAIN. ELEVATED LEVELS OF
HYDROGEN IONS CAUSE THE RAIN
TO HAVE A LOW PH; HENCE
MAKING IT ACIDIC .ACID RAIN IS
CAUSED BY THE EMISSIONS
OF SULPHUR
DIOXIDE AND NITROGEN OXIDE,
WHICH REACT WITH THE WATER
MOLECULES IN

5. • The corrosive effect of polluted, acidic city air on limestone and marble
was noted in the 17th century by John Evelyn, who remarked upon the
poor condition of the Arundel marbles. Since the Industrial Revolution,
emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere
have increased. In 1852, Robert Angus Smith was the first to show the
relationship between acid rain and atmospheric pollution
in Manchester, England.
• Though acidic rain was discovered in 1853, it was not until the late 1960s
that scientists began widely observing and studying the
phenomenon. The term "acid rain" was coined in 1872 by Robert Angus
Smith, A Scottish chemist. Canadian Harold Harvey was among the first
to research a "dead" lake. At first the main focus in research lay on local
affects of acid rain. the chemical-laden clouds themselves know no
borders and have the potential to float over a large area.

6. • Waldemar Christofer Brøgger was the first to acknowledge long-distance
transportation of pollutants crossing borders from the United Kingdom to
Norway. This became a media issue in the early 1980’s. By this time most
of the countries started noticing changes in the wildlife, population of fish
and trees. Public awareness of acid rain in the U.S increased in the 1970s
after The New York Times published reports of the deleterious
environment. Occasional pH readings in rain and fog water of well below
2.4 have been reported in industrialized areas.
• In 1980, the U.S. Congress passed an Acid Deposition Act. This Act
established an 18-year assessment and research program under the
direction of the National Acidic Precipitation Assessment Program
(NAPAP). NAPAP looked at the entire problem from a scientific
perspective. Subsequent Reports to Congress have documented chemical
changes in soil and freshwater ecosystems, nitrogen saturation, power
plant pollution, decreases in amounts of nutrients in soil, episodic
acidification, regional haze, and damage to historical monuments.

8. 1. Wet Deposition 2. Dry Deposition

12. Places significantly impacted by acid rain around the globe include most of
eastern Europe from Poland northward into Scandinavia, the north eastern of
the United States, and southeastern Canada. Other affected areas include the
southeastern coast of China South Asia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Southern
India and Taiwan.

13. WHAT CAUSES ACID RAIN?
Both natural and man-made sources are known to play a role in the
formation of acid rain. Natural Sources include volcanic emissions,
decaying vegetation, wildfires and lighting strikes .But, it is mainly
caused by combustion of fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, or
even oil which results in emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and
nitrogen oxides (NOx). Man-made sources include air pollution
sources emitting sulphur and nitrogen gases like factories, power
generations facilities, and automobiles. The burning of gasoline and
diesel in vehicles leads to building the amount of acidified water
droplets in the atmosphere.

17. Nitrogen oxide is another major component of acid rain.
 Chemistry involved
While reacting with atmospheric moisture, nitrogen oxide also undergoes
oxidation reaction to give rise to nitric or nitrous acid.
NO2 (g) + H2O (l) = HNO3 (aq) + HNO2 (aq)

18. Formation
 These gases are produced in combustion processes, which involve
extremely high temperatures. For example, utility plants, automobiles
and chemical industries such as in the production of fertilizers.
 Five percent of nitrogen oxide is emitted by natural processes like
lightning, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and action of bacteria in the
soil. Industrial processes emit 32% and vehicular transportation is
responsible for 43%.

20.  Acid rain seeps into the earth and poisons plants and trees by
dissolving toxic substances in the soil, such as zinc, lead,
chromium, copper etc.
 Acid rain releases aluminum in the soil which destroys the
beneficial minerals and nutrients and thus destroying the
plants. Young shoots and roots are adversely affected as it
stops the growth of the plants.
 When there is frequent acid rain, it corrodes the waxy
protective coating of the leaves. When this protective coating
on the leaves is lost, it results in making the plant susceptible
to disease. Due to the damaged leaves, the plant loses its
ability to produce sufficient amounts of nutrition which is
need for it to stay healthy. It results in making the plant
vulnerable to the cold weather, insects, and disease, which
can in turn lead to its death.
 High altitude forests are especially vulnerable as they are
often surrounded by clouds and fog which are more acidic
than rain.

22. BIRDS
Acid rain has affected the
bird population to an
extent. Certain bird
studies conducted have
proved the extinction of
certain species of birds
around the globe. The
breeding habits have
considerably declined. The
calcium levels have also
decreased so the eggs
become unhealthy.

23. Aquatic Life


24. Effect on Soil

28. LESHAN GIANT BUDDHA,
MOUNT EMEI (China)

31. CLEANING UP SMOKESTACKS
Most of the electric power supporting the modern-day
energy requirements comes from combusting fossil
fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal .Washing coal,
use of coal comprised of low sulphur, and use of
devices known as “scrubbers” can provide technical
solution to SO2 emissions. “Scrubbing” also called
flue-gas desulphurization (FGD) typically work to
chemically eliminate SO2 from the gases leaving
smokestacks. It can eliminate up to 95% of
SO2gases. The scrubbers produce sludge while
reducing the sulphur content. It also produces a
building material called gypsum, which is used to
make plaster of Paris and cement, in the process.
Power generation facilities can also shift to using
fuels that emit much less SO2 such as natural gas
instead of burning coal.

32. Cleaner Automobiles
Cars and trucks are major sources of
the pollutants that cause acid rain.
Therefore, automobile manufacturers
are required to reduce the amount of
nitrogen oxides and other pollutants
released by new cars. One type of
technology used in cars is called a
catalytic converter. Catalytic converters
are fixed on the exhaust pipe system to
reduce NOx emission. This piece of
equipment has been used for over 20
years to reduce the amount of nitrogen
oxides released by cars. Some new
cars can also use cleaner fuels, such
as natural gas.

33. Restoring Damaged
Environments
Use of limestone or lime, a process called liming, is a practice
that people can do to repair the damage caused by acid rain to
lakes, rivers and brooks. Adding lime into acidic surface waters
balances the acidity. Furthermore, it only offers a short-term
solution at the expense of solving the broader challenges of SO2
and NOx emissions and risks to human health. Nevertheless, it
helps to restore and allow the survival of aquatic life forms by
improving chronically acidified surface waters. The effect on
food crops is minimized by the application of lime and fertilizers
to replace lost nutrients. In cultivated areas, limestone may also
be added to increase the ability of the soil to keep the pH
stable.

34. Alternative Energy Sources
Besides fossil fuels, there is a wide range of alternative energy
sources that can generate electrical power. These include wind energy,
geothermal energy, solar energy, hydropower, and nuclear power.
Harnessing these energy sources can offer effective electrical power
alternatives instead of using fossil fuels. Fuel cells, natural gas, and
batteries can also substitute use of fossil fuel as cleaner energy sources.
As of today, all energy sources have environmental and economic costs
as well as benefits. The only solution is using sustainable energy that can
protect the future.

35. Millions of people directly and indirectly contribute to
SO2 and NOx emissions. Mitigation of this challenge
requires individuals to be more informed about
energy conservation and ways of reducing emissions
such as: turning off lights or electrical appliances
when not using them; use public transport;
use energy efficient electrical appliances; and use of
hybrid vehicles or those with low NOx emissions,
walking down to nearby places instead of driving, etc.,
can help us save fuel and gas, as well as reduce the
adverse effects.

36. Innovations

37. Not only is it great
to add plants and
trees to the planet
that will help
absorb carbon
dioxide, but growing
your own food will
also further reduce
your reliance on the
fossil fuels
associated with food
transportation.

38. A significant portion of fossil fuel consumption can
be traced to the manufacturing of chemicals, rubber,
and plastics. To reduce your reliance on plastics, don’t
buy bottled water, invest in reusable shopping bags,
purchase food items in bulk, opt for items that are
packaged in glass instead of plastic, and
support companies that limit their
packaging.

39. Hydrogen
Economy

40. Energy released
on combustion
(in KJ)
Dihydrogen (in
gaseous state)
Dihydrogen (in liquid
state)
LPG CH4gas
Octane( in
liquid state)
per mole 286 285 2220 880 5511
per gram 143 142 50 53 47
per litre 12 9968 25590 35 34005

41. TAJ MAHAL (INDIA)
The Taj Mahal is India’s prominent tourist destination, attracting between
two and four million visitors annually. The once brilliant-white Taj has been
losing its luster, dulling into a sickly pale shade. Excessive exposure to
sulphur dioxide and suspended particulate matter(SPM) was the main
cause of the Taj Mahal’s ‘marble cancer’-a fungal growth that corroded its
surface giving it a yellowish tinge.MC Mehta, an environmentalist lawyer,
filed a Public Interest Litigation(PIL) in 1984 expressing concern over the
havoc polluting units in Agra were wreaking on the Taj Mahal due to
Mathura Refinery which is owed by Indian Oil Corporation and other
industries around this area. To protect Taj Mahal, the Government of India
announced an action plan in 1995. The plan aims at clearing the air in 'Taj
Trapezium'. Taj Trapezium refers to an area that includes towns of Agra,
Mathura, Bharatpur and Firozabad.

42. The Supreme Court ordered 292 industries in the vicinity to either
adopt pollution control measures or to shut down. It also made it
mandatory for these units to either switch over to eco-friendly fuels
like natural gases or shift out of the area. As a result of this plan, the
industries situated inside the trapezium had switched over to the use
of liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas in the place of coal or oil.

43. SOURCES
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain
• https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Action-to-Reduce-Acid-Rain
• https://www3.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/beingdone.html
• http://www.softschools.com/facts/weather/acid_rain_facts/575/
• https://naturalenergyhub.com/environmental-hazards/acid-rain-causes-
effects-methods-prevent/
• https://www.nature.com/news/2003/030917/full/news030915-4.html
• https://thestockanalysis.com/automotive-emission-control-system-market-
detailed-analysis-and-growth-prospects-for-next-5-years/
• https://helpsavenature.com/causes-effects-of-acid-rain