ACID RAIN

Presented by
 
M.V. GAYATHRI
B.Sc., Chemistry
INTRODUCTION
 Acid rain is rain or any other
from of precipitation that is unusually
acidic.

 It has harmful effects on plants,

aquatic animals, and infrastructure.
DEFINITION
 Acid rain is a popular term referring to the
deposition of wet and dry “Acid Deposition”

 Clean or unpolluted rain has a slightly acidic PH of

about 5.2

H2O (l) + CO2 (g) H2Co3 (aq)

 The extra acidity in rain comes from the reaction

of primary air pollutants, Primarily sulphur oxides and
nitrogen oxides, with water in the air to form strong
acids (like sulphuric and nitric acid.
CAUSES FOR ACID RAIN
 Emissions from volcanoes and biological
processes that occur on the land, in wet lands and in the
oceans.
CAUSES BY HUMAN ACTIVITY
 The principal
cause of acid rain is
sulphur and nitrogen
compounds.
CAUSES BY INDUSTRY
 Coal power plants are one of the most
polluting.

 In the Past factories had short funnels to

let out smoke, but this caused many problems
locally.

 Thus, factories now have taller smoke

funnels.
CAUSES BY CHEMICAL PROCESSES

Formation of Sulphuric Acid

 So3 + H2O H2 SO4 Sulphuric Acid

Formation of Nitric acid

 

 N2 O5 + H2O 2 HNO3 Nitric Aid

Hydrolysis
 Sulphur dioxide dissolves in water and then,
like carbon dioxide, hydrolyses in a series of
equilibrium reaction:

SO2 (g) + H2O SO2 . H2O

 
SO2 . H2O H+ + HSO-3
 
HSO-3 H+ + SO2-3
OXIDATION
The most important oxidation reaction are with Ozone,
hydrogen peroxide and oxygen (reactions with oxygen
are catalyzed by iron and manganese in the cloud
droplets).
 ACID DEPOSITION
Acid rain is the one phase of acid deposition which can
either be wet or dry from.
WET DEPOSITION:
Wet deposition of acids occurs when any form of
precipitation
DRY DEPOSITION
 This can be responsible for as much as 20 to 60%
of total acid deposition.
 This occurs when particles and gases stick to the
ground, plants or other surfaces.

ADVERSE EFFECTS
 Adverse impacts on forests, freshwaters and soils,
killing insect and aquatic life – forms
 The acid rain destroys plants, trees and bushes
reducing agricultural productivity.
     Acid rain affects entire aquatic system and the
soil turns into acidic or sterile.

     Acid rain reduces the rate of photosynthesis

growth and reduction of the activity of nitrogen
fixing bacteria due to loss of fertility of soil.
Acid rain has destroyed historical building (Like
Tajmahal)

CaCO3 + H2SO4 CaSO4 + H2O + CO2

SURFACE WATERS AND AQUATIC ANIMALS.

 Cause damage to fish and other aquatic

animals.
 As lakes and rivers become more acidic
biodiversity is reduced.
Acid rain has eliminated insect life and some
fish species.
 Some microbes are unable to tolerate changes
to low PHs and are killed.
 The enzymes of these microbes are denatured
changed
 The hydronium ions of acid rain also mobilize
toxins, eg aluminium.
 Soil chemistry can be dramatically changed

PREVENTIVE MEASURES:
 Reduction in the use of fossil fuel
 Conservation of forest
 Afforestation and encouraging community
forestry
 Reduction in the use of automobiles
 Research on the development of more
efficient automobile engines.