8.5 Flashcards
What is acid deposition?
Acid Decomposition is all processes by which acidic components leave atmosphere (gas or precipitate)
is all rainwater naturally acidic or basic?
acidic
what does acid rain refer to?
solutions with a pH below 5.6 and which therefore contain additional acids
what are main contributors of acid rain?
oxides of sulfur and nitrogen - primary pollutants
what is a primary pollutant?
an air pollutant emitted directly from a source
What is a secondary pollutant?
not directly emitted as such but forms when other pollutants (primary pollutants) react in the atmosphere
what is acid rain?
Acid rain is a secondary pollutant produced when these acidic gases (sulfur/nitrogen oxides) dissolve in water.
types of acid deposition:
- Wet acid deposition: rain, snow, hail, fog, mist, dew.
fall to ground as precipitates
2.Dry acid deposition: acidifying particles
gases fall to ground as dust and smoke and later dissolve in water to form acids
what is SO2 produced from?
burning of fossil fuels - particularly coal and heavy oil in power plants used to generate electricity
also released in industrial processes of smelting where metals are extracted from their ores.
it is estimated that about 50% of annual global emissions of SO2 come from coal
what kind of a compound is SO2?
colourless gas with a sharp smell
What can be produced from SO2?
SO3; H2SO3; H2SO4
O2 + 2SO2 = 2SO3
H2O + SO2 = H2SO3
H2O + SO3 = H2SO4
what are some mechanisms that might occur in the reactions of producing SO3, H2SO3 and H2SO4
- During sunlight - photo oxidation
- Oxidation may also be catalysed by tiny particles of metal present in the clouds (Fe, Mn)
- Ozone (O3) or hydrogen peroxide ( H2O2) (pollutants) can be invloved
a detailed study of ozone involvement
- hydroxyl free radicals which form by reactions between water and atomic oxygen/ozone
- A free radical possesses an unpaired electron and so is a short-lived and reactive species
- shown with the symbol of a dot
What is NO produced from?
mainly internal combustion engines where the burning of the fuel releases heat energy that causes nitrogen and oxygen from the air to combine
Reactions of nitrogen
N2 + O2 = 2NO
N2+ 2O2 = 2NO2
2NO + O2 = 2NO2
2NO2 + H2O = HNO2 + HNO3
2H2O + 4NO2 + O2 = 4HNO3