47: Acid Deposition

Question 1

What is pH?

Answer 1

measure of how basic or how acidic a solution is

Question 2

What is a pH of 7?

Answer 2

the neutral pH of pure water

Question 3

What is a pH higher than 7?

Answer 3

basic (or alkaline)

Question 4

What is a pH lower than 7?

Answer 4

acidic

Question 5

What is the normal pH of rainfall?

Answer 5

normal pH of rainfall is slightly acidic (pH 5-6) because as rain falls, it dissolves CO2 and creates carbonic acid
H2O + CO2 <–> H2CO3 (carbonic acid)

Question 6

What is occurring in northeastern US?

Answer 6

rain and snow often average pH 4 (and occasionally, even lower)

Question 7

What is acid deposition?

Answer 7

acid rain + acid snow + acid particles
- straddles between air pollution and atmospheric change

Question 8

What are the two points of acid deposition?

Answer 8

1: upwind
2: downwind

Question 9

What occurs in point 1 of acid deposition?

Answer 9

emission of primary pollutants
- nitrogen oxides (from motor vehicles), sulfur oxides (coal burning plants, energy power plants, large smelters, industrial boilers)

Question 10

What occurs in point 2 of acid deposition?

Answer 10

deposition is going to fall
- primary pollutants react with other compounds in atmosphere and are transported and fall as sulfuric acid, nitric acid, nitrous acid downward

Question 11

How does acid deposition affect buildings?

Answer 11

everything made of calcium carbonate is going to be attacked by this acid (destroyed)
- affects paint on cars

Question 12

How does acid deposition affect forests?

Answer 12

as soil changes its pH when it receives acid deposition, it changes the solubility of certain minerals in water and when plants absorb those minerals, they absorb it in quantities that are not the normal
- bad for plant, makes them more sensitive to other problems

Question 13

How does acid deposition affect aquatic life?

Answer 13

organisms with shells are very sensitive to acidification since the shells are made of calcium carbonate
(Calcium carbonate is dissolved by acid deposition)

Question 14

How does acid deposition affect human health?

Answer 14

causes asthma and bronchitis
- irritation of the respiratory airways
- makes respiratory problems worse

Question 15

What is the pH of precipitation in the US?

Answer 15

more acid deposition in Northeastern US since it used to be a very industrial area
- has gotten a lot better in 2018