air
DESCRIPTION
Air. Section #3: Acid Precipitation. precipitation such as rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Air
Section #3:Acid Precipitation
![Page 2: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Acid Precipitation
• precipitation such as rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids
• it is a secondary pollutant caused by the chemical reaction between water in the atmosphere & the sulfur dioxide & nitrogen oxides that are released from burning fossil fuels
![Page 3: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Acid Precipitation
• the sulfuric acids & nitric acids that are produced will flow over & through the ground into rivers, lakes, & streams
• acid precipitation can kill living organisms resulting in a decline in animal & plant populations
![Page 4: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
How Acid Precipitation
Forms
![Page 5: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
pH
• a number that measures how acidic or basic a substance it
• the pH scale runs from 0-14• the lower the number, the more acidic a
substance is• the higher the number, the more basic a
substance it• each whole number on the scale indicates
a tenfold change in acidity
![Page 6: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
pH Scale
![Page 7: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Normal pH
• pure water has a pH of 7 which is neutral
• normal precipitation is slightly acidic (~ 5.6) because CO2 in the atmosphere forms carbonic acid
• if the pH is less than 5.0, then the precipitation is considered acidic
• pH varies with each geographic area
![Page 8: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Affect on Soils & Plants
•plant communities have adapted over long periods of time to the acidity of the soil in which they grow
•significant & quick changes in the acid level is called acidificationacidification
![Page 9: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Acidification
• changes the balance of a soil’s chemistry
• an increase in the acid levels can cause some nutrients to be more easily dissolved & washed away by rainwater
• can also cause aluminum & other toxic metals to be released & absorbed by plant roots
• acids can also clog the stomata on plant surfaces
![Page 10: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Acidification of a Forest
![Page 11: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Affect on Aquatic Ecosystems
•just like plants, aquatic organisms have adapted to live within a particular pH range
•even a slight increase in acid levels can lead to death
![Page 12: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Acid Shock
•a sudden influx of acidic water that causes a rapid change in the water’s pH
•this often occurs in the spring when acidic snow that accumulated in the winter melts & rushes into bodies of water
![Page 13: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Acid Shock
•this causes large #s of fish in a population to die & affects the reproduction of fish & amphibians
•organisms produce fewer eggs, most do not hatch, & those that do often have birth defects &/or cannot reproduce themselves
![Page 14: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Fish Killed by Acid Shock
![Page 15: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Combating Acidification
•some states in the U.S. and some countries will try to counteract the effects of acid precipitation on aquatic organisms by spraying powdered limestone on acidified lakes in the spring to help restore natural pH levels in the lake
![Page 16: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Affect on Humans
• when soil acidity increases, toxic metals such as aluminum & mercury can be released into the environment
• these toxic metals can then find their way into the human body through crops, water, & fish
• this can poison the human body & even cause death at high levels
![Page 17: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Affect on Humans
• there is also a correlation between large amounts of acid precipitation received by a community & an increase in respiratory problems by children in that community
• industries (commercial fishing, logging) may struggle because of the damage from acid precipitation
![Page 18: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Affect on Structures
• a common building material, calcium carbonate, found in concrete & limestone is dissolved by acid precipitation
• some of the world’s most important & historic monuments (especially those made of marble) are slowly being eaten away
![Page 19: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Acids Eating Rocks
![Page 20: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
International Conflict
• very hard to control because acid precipitation may form over one region or country but actually fall to the ground several kilometers away
• for example, most of the acid precipitation that falls in Canada was actually produced in OH, IN, PA, IL, MO, WV, and TN
![Page 21: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Global Problems
![Page 22: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
International Cooperation
• Canada & the U.S. signed an Air Quality Agreement in 1991 where both countries agreed to reduce acidic emissions that flow across the Canada-U.S. border
• more agreements will have to be formed in the future to fight the acid precipitation problem
![Page 23: Air](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022070408/568143cf550346895db05ca5/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Question?
•Should the country that releases significant amounts of pollutants into the air that falls as acid precipitation in another country be expected to pay some of the cost of clean-up? Why or why not?