Acid Rain

[Monster92]

So, how does Sulphur trioxide form in the atmosphere and where does it come from? I'm getting confused between Sulphur dioxide and trioxide.

 

Also, what does phyotoxicity mean?

 

What does my text book mean by this "deflocculation and acidification of soils"

 

 

Thank you in advanced, I'm studying for a test which is later in the year.

[Blahah]

Sulfur trioxide is formed when sulfur dioxide, given off by combustion of fossil fuels, is oxidised by free hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere. Read the details here.

 

Flocculation is the process by which particles aggregate to form clumps, so deflocculation of soil is the breaking up of clumps of soil particles. Acidification is obviously the soil becoming more acidic.

[CaptainPanic]

Sulphur has multiple origins... but a lot of it comes from exhaust gases.

 

Both crude oil and coal contain a lot of sulphur (up to 1% wt). In modern refineries this sulphur is removed so that the cars can burn sulphur-free fuels. In power plants, the sulphur is removed from the flue gas. SO2 is what is found in the flue gas.

 

I believe that the SO2 can react to SO3 in the presence of ozone. This SO3 can then react with water to form H2SO4, which makes the rain acidic.

[John Cuthber]

phytotoxic means toxic to plants.

SO2 will dissolve in water to form H2SO3 which is readily oxidised by ozone, hydroxyl radicals or even oxygen to H2SO4.

[pippo]

Either way, its not so sexy any more to talk about acid rain as it was in the 80's. Now its GW (global warming).......And GW is morphing into climate change. Next week, it may be called something else........

 

BTW, anybody know it the black forest in Germany that was reportedly affected by "acid rain" has recovered? Just curious.

[SMF]

Acid rain is less of an issue because it has been significantly mitigated in the US by a successful cap and trade scheme. I am not concerned about the terminology used for global warming, this issue is only important in popular culture. SM

[pippo]

Acid rain is less of an issue because it has been significantly mitigated in the US by a successful cap and trade scheme. I am not concerned about the terminology used for global warming, this issue is only important in popular culture. SM

 

Pop culture, SMF?? Man, where have you been. Are politicians in Congress pop culture? Is Obama Pop culture? Its become a shell game. It cant be substantiated by all the scientific community, so they have to re brand it to the word of the day. Last I heard, it was climate change. Its more palatable. For now.

[SMF]

Yes Pippo, pop culture. Everybody with a viewpoint is trying to use word usage to bias their own issues. While you are at it, don't forget to add Frank Luntz, the conservative image manager of the Bush administration, who specifically and publicly (after his memo was outed and he was interviewed about it) told anti science politicians to always use say "climate change." He has since changed his tune. In case you haven't noticed, this is a science forum, and the climate scientists use warming versus change as is appropriate, or don't even make a distinction for current science. Do the words behind the IPCC acronym have any resonance with you. If you stick to the science, not what is in the political or blogosphere arenas, this is a non-issue. SM

Edited February 20, 2011 by SMF

[John Cuthber]

Acid rain is less of an issue because it has been significantly mitigated in the US by a successful cap and trade scheme. I am not concerned about the terminology used for global warming, this issue is only important in popular culture. SM

Acid rain is less of an issue because they fitted scrubbers to remove SO2 from the flue gases in power stations and reduced the sulphur content of fuels.

Not dumping lots of acid into the air reduced the acidity of the rain. Gosh!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flue-gas_desulfurization

[SMF]

John, gosh, what do you think the motivation was for putting on scrubbers? The point is that the problem has been reduced and that is why it is not so important, not just some changing political agenda. Here is a link regarding the successful cap and trade system that is in the Clean Air Act and supervised by the EPA. http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/peg/acidrain.html

 

Your government at work! SM

Edited February 20, 2011 by SMF

[John Cuthber]

As far as I'm concerned, the reason they fitted scrubbers was pressure from other countries, notably in Scandinavia..

The EPA is not my government at work. Roughly 95% of the world's population are not American.

However, as you say, the important thing is that the problem was recognised and solved.

The same might possibly happen with CO2 but it's much more difficult.

[SMF]

John, I was thinking much more local in that in the US the problem was popularized by the effects of acidification on the ecology, especially lakes. Otherwise I agree. SM

[CaptainPanic]

BTW, anybody know it the black forest in Germany that was reportedly affected by "acid rain" has recovered? Just curious.

You're not convinced that the acid rain was real? The tone of your reply ('reportedly', and "acid rain" between " ") suggests that you think it was another media-hype to make the poor customers/tax payers pay more money for nothing, like some people say climate change is just a way to make the poor customers pay more money?

 

The acid rain was VERY real. It had a pH of 4. It killed eco-systems.

 

All large oil-refineries are now equipped with desulphurization equipment to remove the sulphur from the fuel.

All large coal-burning powerplants have stack-gas cleaning systems which also prevent the sulphurdioxide emissions.

 

And that helped.

Edited February 21, 2011 by CaptainPanic