Combustion of FossilFuels as a source of acid rain

Group Members: • Daniel Portillo• Ligia Duron • Amzler Garcia • Marcela Aguilar

The burning of Wood and combustion of coal and other fossil fuels release oxides of sulfur and nitrogen that react with wáter in the atmosphere to form sulfuric and nitric acid, respectively.

The acids eventually fall back to earth as acid precipitation.

Acid precipitation:defined as rain, snow, or fog that has a ph less than 5.6 it lowers the ph of acuatic ecosystems and affects the soil chemistry of terrestrial ecosystems.

Combustion of fossil fuels is the main cause of acid precipitation

Acid precipitation has been occurring ever since the industrial revolution, emissions have increase during the past hundred years, mainly as a result of ore ,smelters, and electrical generating plants.

Acid precipitation first brought to public attention in the 1916 when they began to document damaged forests and lakes in Europe and eastern North America.

Clearly it’s a regional or global problem, not a local one.

Effects of Acid Precipitation: Nitrogenous and sulfurous pollutants from fuel combustion can drift

hundreds of kilometers before falling as acid precipitation. 

In terrestrial ecosystems, such as the deciduous forests of New England, the change in soil pH due to acid precipitation causes calcium and other nutrients to leach from the soil. The nutrient deficiencies affect the health of plants and limit their growth. 

Freshwater ecosystems are particularly sensitive to acid precipitation. The lakes in North America and northern Europe that are most readily damaged by acid precipitation are those underlain by granite bedrock

Freshwater ecosystems are particularly sensitive to acid precipitation. The lakes in North America and northern Europe that are most readily damaged by acid precipitation are those underlain by granite bedrock.  Such lakes generally have relatively poor buffering capacity because the water is “soft,”  meaning the concentration of bicarbonate is low.

Fish populations have declined in thousands of such lakes :

Norway and Sweden, pH of water dropped below 5.0

Canada newly hatched lake dies when the pH drops below 5.4

Improvements:  Environmental regulations and new industrial technologies have

enabled many developed countries, including the United States, to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions during the past 30 years. 

However, ecologists estimate that it will take another 10 to 20 years for these ecosystems to recover, even if sulfur dioxide emissions continue to decrease. 

Thanks For your time!