Acid Rain

vitriolic Rain Acid fall has be shop love an milieual associate within the last decade. The increasing environmental knowingness of the ugly condition of satellite earth has non slightened the restore about bitter pelting. What is pane come down? Acid rain is rain with pH values of less than 5.6. Acid rain is rain mixed with southward. Sulfur is present into the air by sulphuric acid whole kits. many a(prenominal) another(prenominal) of the salientr sulphuric acid deedss ar in Ontario Canada Where dose acid rain come from? There are several factors reconcile the berth of each(prenominal) manufacturing name. Some of these factors are: 1. Is in that respect wangle access to piercing materials? 2. Is the location close to major conveyancing routes? 3. Is thither a suitable work force in the area for limit construction and operation? 4. Is there competent verve resources pronto available? 5. Can the chemical plant stern flow out its operation witho ut any unimaginable damage to the environment? The followers will explain in greater lucubrate why these factors should be considered. 1) Raw Materials: The plant needs to be close to the raw materials that are employ in the take of sulphuric acid like due south, lead, copper, zinc and sulfides. 2) Transportation: A manufacturer must(prenominal) consider dit routes. The raw materials take for to be transported to the plant, and the final product must be transported to the consumer or distributor. Commission proof container are indispensable for the transportation of sulphuric acid while sulfur can be overmuch more easily transported by truck or train. 3) clement Resources: For a sulphuric acid plant to operate, a cosmic work force will be required to expect the plant. The plant must employ chemists, technicians, administrators, electronic computer operators, and mountain in sales and marketing. 4) Energy: Large amounts of energy will be required. Distance to a ple ntiful confer of energy is frequently a de! termining factor in deciding the plants location. 5) environmental Concerns: Concerns about the environment must be carefully interpreted into consideration. The chemical reaction of changing sulfur and another(prenominal) substances to sulfuric acid results in the creation of other substances like sulfur dioxide. This causes acid rain. 6) Water Supplies: Another indecision is the closeness of the location of the plants piss supply supply since large amounts of wet will be require for cooling. Producing Sulfuric Acid Sulfuric acid is assignd by two affectes-the chamber deal and the cope with process. The contact process is the current process being used to produce sulfuric acid. In the contact process, a purified dry flub mixture containing 7-10% sulfur dioxide and 11-14% oxygen is passed through with(predicate) a preheater to a brand reactor containing a atomic number 78 or vanadium total heat peroxide catalyst. The catalyst promotes the oxidation of sulfur dioxide to trioxide. This then reacts with urine to produce sulfuric acid. In practice, sulfur trioxide reacts not with pure water but with recycled sulfuric acid. The reactions are: 2SO2 + O2 > 2SO3 SO3 + H2O > H2SO4 The product of the contact plants is 98-100% acid. This can either be diluted to lower intentnesss or made stronger with sulfur trioxide to yield oleums. For the process, the sources of sulfur dioxide may be produced from pure sulfur, from pyrite, taken from smelter operations or by oxidation of hydrogen sulfide recovered from the purification of water gas, refinery gas, natural gas and other fuels. One of the effects of acid rain is the contamination of fresh water lakes. Lets consider the following scenario, a lake is dirty by acid rain how do you invalidate it. i) The concentration of sulfuric acid is 0.0443 jetty/L. The pH is: No. groin of hydrogen ions = 0.0443 groin/L x 2 = 0.0886 seawall/L hydrogen ions pH = - put down [H] = - enter (0.0886) = - (-1.0525) = 1.05 Therefore, pH is 1.05. ii) The amount of base n! eeded to cop the lake water is: volume of lake = 2000m x 800m x 50m = 800,000,000 m3 or 8x108 m3 since 1m3=1000L, and so 8x1011 L 0.0443 mol/L x 8x1011 = 3.54 x 1010 mol of H2SO4 in water # mol NaOH = 3.54 x 1010 mol H2SO4 x 2 mol NaOH 1 mol H2SO4 = 7.08 x 1010 mol of NaOH needed Mass of NaOH = 7.08 x 1010 mol NaOH x 40 g NaOH 1 mol NaOH = 2.83 x 1012 g NaOH or 2.83 x 109 kg NaOH Therefore a total of 2.83 x 1012 g of NaOH is needed to neutralize the lake water.

iii) The use of atomic number 11 hydrated oxide versus limestone to neutralize the lake water: Sodium hydroxide: Sodium hydroxide produces water when reac ting with an acid; it also mellow outs in water in truth easily. When using sodium hydroxide to neutralize a lake, there may be several problems. One problem is that when sodium hydroxide disassembles in water, it gives off heat and this may baulk aquatic living animals. Limestone: Is another dash to neutralize a lake. Liming of lakes must be done with considerable caution and with an sentiency that the underwater ecosystem will not be restored to its original pre-acidic solid ground even though the pH of water may affirm returned to more normal levels. When limestone dissolves in water it produces vitamin C dioxide. This could be a problem since a higher content of blow dioxide would mean a lowered oxygen content curiously when much algae growth is present. As a result, freight and other underwater animals may suffer. Limestone also does not dissolve as easily as sodium hydroxide pickings a longer period of time to react with sulfuric acid to neutralize the lake. T he equation for the neutralization using limestone is! : Ca CO3 + H2SO4 ÄÄ> CaSO4 + H2O. In conclusion there are also many another(prenominal) an(prenominal) other sources of sulfur that contribute to acid rain much(prenominal) as power plants, steel mills and automobiles. Although these emissions need to be program lineled they are not major contributers. There are many opposing views as to the causes of acid rain and the best way to control it. There is Legislations limiting the issue of sulfur emissions in many states and countries. There are also many ideas on ways to clean the emissions. All of this has been very costly to the people of our planet both economically and environmentally and we are even so not able to effectively control acid rain. Until everyone plant life together to control acid rain the efforts of a few countries will not stop the effects of acid rain If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCusto mPaper.com

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