What is Acid Rain ?

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What is Acid Rain ?
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Acid Rain in PA

• Normal rain is naturally slightly acidic
• Acid Rain has pH ______

lt 5.6

• PAs average rainfall has pH of _____

4.3

• PA is affected more than any other state by Acid
  Rain due to nearby industries

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Acid Rain Formation

• Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas)
• NOx and SOx gases are emitted
• NOx and SOx combine with water in the sky to form
  nitric and sulfuric acid
• NO2 H2O à
• SO2 H2O à

HNO3
H2SO4
Answers Question 9 on Packet Page 6
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Effects of Acid Rain

• Minerals leached from soil
• Ex. Mg, Ca, K
• Metals (Al) dissolved from soil by rainwater get
  into water system
• Al(OH)3 H2SO4 ? Al2(SO4 )3(aq) H2CO3

Answers Question 8 on Packet Page 6
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Effects of Acid Rain
- High levels of Al cause fish to build up mucous
and can cause suffocation. - Waters with low pH
can kill eggs - Low pH kills many bacteria algae
Answers Question 8 on Packet Page 6
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Effects of Acid Rain

• Dissolves waxy coating on plants
• Dissolves CaCO3 (marble, limestone, concrete)
• Reacts with some metals

leaves them vulnerable to fungus bacteria
Answers Question 8 on Packet Page 6
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Effects of Acid Rain
Since 1998, Harvard University wraps some of the
bronze and marble statues on its campus, such as
this Chinese Stele", with waterproof covers
every winter, in order to protect them from
erosion caused by acid rain (or, actually, acid
snow)
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The effect of acid rain on statuary
Location New York City
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A forest damaged by acid rain
A forest damaged by acid rain
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Acid Rain Interstate International
- In the past, factories had short funnels to
let out smoke. - This caused local
pollution. - Now, factories have taller smoke
stacks. - This leads to interstate and
international pollution.
Answers Question 10 on Packet Page 7
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Acid Rain Over the Years
Acid Rain Program 1990 Clean Air Act
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Annual Mean Wet Inorganic Nitrogen Deposition