Power Point Presentation

on

ACID RAIN

Presented by Presented to

MEHEBUB ALAM & Dr. ANJUM AHMAD

AKTAR HOSSAIN Dept. of Education
16 EDB 8 & 11

Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

 CONTENTS
➢ Meaning
➢ Effect
➢ Causes
➢ Solution
 INTRODUCTION

MEANING:
Acid rain is rainfall that has a pH level of less than 5.6 or any other form of
precipitation that is unusually acidic in nature. It is a phenomenon in which
acid is thrown out from the atmosphere. In this phenomenon, acid which has
formed due to pollution may return to the earth as a solid or a gas or as a liquid
contained in rain. It is also called acid deposition which may be one of the
following types:

➢ Wet deposition
➢ Dry deposition

Wet deposition refers to acidic rain, snow, fog, cloud-water, dew, mist etc. As
this acidic water flows over and through the ground, it affects a variety of
plants and animals.
Dry deposition refers to acidic gases and particles mixed with dust or smoke.
The wind blows these acidic particles and gases onto buildings, skyscrapers,
cars, homes, and trees.
The problem has become severe since the1960s when fishermen noticed a
sharp reduction in the quantity of fish in lakes of North America and
Europe.
In 1872, the Scottish chemist, Angus Robert Smith wrote a book "Air
and Rain: The Beginnings of Chemical Climatology", in which he
used the term “Acid Rain”.
Measurement
➢ Liquids with a pH less than 7 are acidic, and those with a pH greater
than 7 are bases.
➢ Pure water has a pH of 7.0.
➢ Normal rain is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide dissolves into it,
so it has a pH of about 5.6. When the pH level of rainwater goes below
5.6, it is considered acid rain.
➢ The lower the rain's pH, the more acidic it is.
 Effect of acid rain
➢ Plants
➢ Aquatic / Sea Life
➢ Animals and Birds
➢ Soil
➢ Human Beings
➢ Buildings & Monuments

Effect on Plants
Acid rain can deplete the nutrients in the soil, thereby depriving the plants of their
food. Nutrients in soil dissolve in acid rain and get washed away before the plants
can utilize them. The poor-quality acidic soil is not only incapable of buffering but
it also becomes intoxicated with harmful substances like mercury and aluminium,
which are absorbed by the plants.
Effect on Aquatic / Sea Life

All of the sea life will die when the water that they swim in gets to be too
acidic. For example, all fish will die when the water goes below a pH of 4.5.
Most of the frogs and insects that live around the water will also die when the
water reaches a pH of 4.5. Aquatic plants will grow the best when the water is
a pH between 7.0 and 9.2. If acid rain gets to be more of a problem, then all of
the sea life will eventually be gone.
Effect on Animals and Birds
All living organisms are interdependent on each other. If a lower life form is killed,
other species that depend on it will also be affected. Every animal up the food chain
will be affected. Animals and birds, like waterfowl or beavers, which depends on
the water for food sources or as a habitat, also begin to die. Due to the effects of
acid rain, animals which depend on plants for their food also begin to suffer. Tree
dwelling birds and animals also begin to languish due to loss of habitat.
Effect on Soil

Soil contains many harmful minerals such as mercury and aluminium. These
elements can't be absorbed by plants and trees and are thus harmless. Upon
contact with acid rain, these chemicals undergo chemical reactions with the
acids. As a result, compounds of aluminium, lead and mercury are formed.
Plants and trees can easily absorb these compounds. Such elements, which are
extremely harmful to living forms, ultimately affect the entire food chain. These
chemicals not only harm the flora, but also the animals that feed on them.
Effect on Human Beings

The acidification of surface waters causes little direct harm to people. Toxic
substances leached from soil can pollute local water supplies.

The most serious side effect is respiratory problems, including asthma and dry
cough. Other health problems include headache, eye, nose and throat irritation.
Toxic particles of mercury and aluminium find their way into fruits, vegetables
and grasses. Once eaten by animals, these toxic particles are retained in their
organs, and although this poses no threat to the animal, it does pose a threat to
humans who consume them.
Effect on Buildings & Monuments Acid rain can also cause damage to certain
building materials, marble statues and historical monuments. This results when
the sulphuric acid in the rain chemically reacts with the calcium compounds in
the stones (limestone, sandstone, marble and granite) to create gypsum. This
result is also commonly seen on old gravestones where the acid rain can cause the
inscription to become completely illegible. Acid rain also causes an increased rate
of oxidation for metals, and in particular copper and bronze. Visibility is also
reduced by sulphate and nitrate aerosols and particles in the atmosphere. Many
great structures in the world like Taj Mahal in India, Washington Monument,
Renaissance buildings in Italy, Acropolis in Greece have all been affected by the
acid rain.
 Causes
Natural Sources
The major natural causal agent for acid rain is volcanic emissions. Volcanoes emit
acid producing gases to create higher than normal amounts of acid rain or any other
form of precipitation such as fog and snow to an extent of affecting vegetation cover
and health of residents within the surrounding. Decaying vegetation, wildfires and
biological processes within the environment also generate the acid rain forming
gases. Dimethyl sulphide is a typical example of a major biological contributor to
sulphur containing elements into the atmosphere. Lighting strikes also naturally
produces nitric oxides that react with water molecules via electrical activity to
produce nitric acid, thereby forming acid rain.

Natural causes of Acid Rain

Natural causes of acid rain are relatively small compared to those from
anthropogenic sources as discussed above. The following are the most common
natural causes of acid rain.
1. Volcanic eruptions: The main natural causal agent for acid rain is volcanic
emissions. Volcanoes emit acid-producing gases, mainly sulphur, to create
higher than normal amounts of acid rain or any other form of precipitation such
as fog or snow to an extent of affecting vegetation cover and health of residents
within the surrounding.
1. Decaying vegetation, wildfires, and biological processes: Decaying
vegetation, wildfires, and biological processes within the environment also
generate the acid rain forming gases. Dimethyl sulphide is a typical example of
a major biological contributor to sulphur-containing elements into the
atmosphere.
2. Lightning: Lightning strikes naturally produce nitric oxides that react with
water molecules via electrical activity to produce nitric acid, thereby forming
acid rain. Lightning is the major natural source of NOX.
2. Man-made sources
Human activities leading to chemical gas emissions such as sulphur and
nitrogen are the primary contributors to acid rain. The activities include air
pollution sources emitting sulphur and nitrogen gases like factories, power
generations facilities, and automobiles. In particular, use of coal for electrical
power generation is the biggest contributor to gaseous emissions leading to acid
rain. Automobiles and factories also release
high scores of gaseous emissions on daily basis into the air, especially in highly
industrialized areas and urban regions with large numbers of car traffic. These gases
react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various
acidic compounds such as sulphuric acid, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. As a
result, these areas experience exceedingly high amounts of acid rain.
The existing winds blow these acidic compounds over large areas across borders and
they fall back to the ground in the form of acid rain or other forms of precipitation.
Upon reaching the earth, it flows across the surface, absorbs into the soil and enters
into lakes and rivers and finally gets mixed up with sea water.
The gases i.e. i.e. sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are primarily
gases occurring from electric power generation by burning coal and responsible for
acid rain.
Man-made or Anthropogenic Causes of Acid Rain
Human activities leading to chemical gas emissions such as sulphur and nitrogen are
the primary contributors to acid rain. Factories, power generations facilities, and
automobiles are the chief emitters of sulphur and nitrogen gases. Use of coal for
electrical power generation is the biggest contributor to gaseous emissions leading to
acid rain.
Automobiles and factories also release high scores of gaseous emissions on a
daily basis into the air, especially in highly industrialized areas and urban regions
with large numbers of car traffic. As a result, these areas experience exceedingly
high amounts of acid rain. Let’s look at the details.

1. Combustion of coal and oil

As stated earlier, the principal emissions accountable for acidic depositions in the
atmosphere are oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and sulphur dioxide (SO2).
Combusting coal and oil emit loads of these gases into the atmosphere. Once in
the atmosphere, these compounds react with atmospheric water molecules in the
presence of sunlight to form mild sulphuric and nitric acids.
Coal and oil are burned to produce energy to power machinery and are also used
for heating, cooking, and lighting. The bottom line is, combustion of these
substances releases the core gases responsible for the formation of acid rain.
2. Power plants and manufacturing industries
Contemporary power plants use fuel to generate energy. In the process of energy
generation and combustions, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide gases are released
into the atmosphere. Manufacturing industries that manufacture cement, refine
petroleum, process plastics, produce chemical products and pharmaceuticals or
those that produce metals such as steel and aluminium release scores of NOX and
SO2 gases into the atmosphere.
A much as these industries use technologies to reduce the emission of NOX and
SO2 gases, the pollutants are released in small amounts but continuously for
prolonged time periods eventually leading to the formation of acid rain.
3. Automobiles and other vehicles
Another main source of NOX and SO2 emissions are the fuel combustion of trucks,
cars, airplanes, and buses. These automobiles release high levels of sulphur and
nitrogen gaseous emissions on a daily basis into the atmosphere, mainly in highly
industrialized areas and urban areas with large numbers of car traffic. Accordingly,
these areas usually experience substantial amounts of acid rains.
The sulphur and nitrogen emissions can also be blown to other regions leading to
acid rain formation in other areas away from the emission sources. For instance, it
is believed the acid rain in Sweden is influenced by air pollution in Britain.
 Possible Solutions

The number of possible solutions are available to deal with air pollution and the
resultant acid rain. However, what matters more is to consciously enforce these
solutions on a wide scale. The most important thing is to educate people all over the
world, and create awareness, about the causes and effects of acid rain. Solutions to
this problem can only be successful through cooperation. Given below are a few
solutions, which can greatly reduce the threat of acid rain, if strictly followed by a
large number of people.
✔ One of the most fundamental solutions is to utilize fuels that burn more cleanly,
or to burn coal more efficiently. This will greatly reduce the amount of acids released
in the atmosphere.
✔ A small step can be taken by turning off our lights, computers, and other
electrical appliances, when not in use. While purchasing, we can buy appliances,
which consume less energy. If everyone follows this, it can help to a huge extent.
✔ Attaching devices known as 'scrubbers' in the chimneys of industrial power
plants reduces the amount of sulphur released through the smoke by 90-95%.
Moreover, industries must regularly inspect and clean all their emission
equipment, chimneys, pipes, etc.
✔ The scrubbers which can be used in chimneys 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.
✔ Cars and vehicles have a large contribution in polluting the environment, and
causing acid rain. Using public transport, resorting to carpool, walking down to
nearby places instead of driving, etc., can help us save fuel and gas, as well as
reduce the adverse effects.
All these solutions will be pointless unless people are informed and educated
about the ill-effects and harms of this rain. A widespread and nationwide effort
must be made to make people aware of the hazardous effects. Only after that is
done, will all the solutions actually make a difference. Acid rain is one of the
biggest environmental hazards that we are facing today, and strong measures
must be taken to prevent it, before it is too late. The governments of all the
nations needs to take notice, and do much more than what they are already
doing. Acid rain is adversely affecting plants, animals, and human beings. It is
our duty towards ourselves, and towards our fellow human beings, to do all
that we can, to prevent and reduce the presence of acid rain in our
environment.
THANK YOU