Acid Deposition

One of the most serious problems faced by our modern world in the
post-industrial revolution is that of acid deposition. Acid deposition is a
general term referring to the erosion of many minerals by acidic compounds.
These solutions are the result of both dry, acidic airborne particles and acidic
precipitation that falls down to earth. The cause of acid deposition comes
from two main sources: natural emissions, as well as man-made industrial
emissions. Naturally emissions come from sources such as volcanoes, while
man-made emissions come from industrial plants and cars. These emissions
principally include the gases sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
In the atmosphere water and ozone react to form hydroxyl radicals. These
radicals then react with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide to form sulfuric
and nitric acid. As these gases travels to the upper atmosphere, they
combine with water vapor to form, respectively, sulfuric acid (SO3) and nitric
acid (HNO3). These aqueous acids then fall as rain and other precipitation,
causing great damage. The acidic rain is absorbed by the soil and plants,
killing off many plants by depriving them of nutrients and rendering soil
inhospitable to the sustainment of life, and poisoning many water creatures
by polluting the bodies of water. Many buildings and monuments formed of
minerals such as limestone, sandstone, marble, and granite are also
susceptible to acidic precipitation, as the acid reacts with the outer surface,
forming an aqueous salt, typically gypsum, which flakes or washes away,
permanently damaging the structure. Placing scrubbers on and injecting a
limestone slurry into industrial smokestacks prevents the acid-forming gases
from leaving the factory and forming acid rain. Adding ammonia gases into
the atmosphere helps to neutralize the airborne acids. Sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels are defused into the
atmosphere. Ammonia is produced by the putrefaction of nitrogenous animal
and plant matter. Much ammonia is emitted from livestock waste. Higher
ammonia concentration is found in the atmosphere over the central United
States due to more livestock farming present there. Ammonia is a basic gas.
Therefore it can react with nitric and sulfuric acids so as to neutralize them
and prevent them from precipitating to earth and causing damage.