ACID RAIN
CAUSES and EFFECTS
A paradise island: which one is it?
Limestone and marble
dissolve in acid rain.
Welcome to
HAWAII.
This forest in Hawaii has been
damaged by acid rain.
But in Hawaii there are not many
factories, not even many cars.
What causes the
acid rain in
HAWAII then?
The most active
volcanoes on
Earth are in
Hawaii.
Volcanoes,
together with
factories and cars,
emit the gases
that produce the
acid rain.
Which are the gases
that produce acid rain?
Sulphur
dioxide
SO2
Which are the gases
that produce acid rain?
Nitrogen
dioxide
NO2
Reactions that lead to
acid rain
SO2 + air SO3
SO3 + H2O H2SO4
4 NO2 + 2 H2O + O2 4 HNO3
Sulphuric acid and nitric
acid, mixed with water,
make acid rain.
What are the
effects of
acid rain?
Acid rain damages buildings.
Limestone and marble
dissolve in acid rain.
WHY?
limestone marble
CaCO3 calcium carbonate
are made from
CaCO3 calcium carbonate
H2SO4 sulphuric acid
+
CaSO4 calcium sulphate
H2O water
+ CO2 carbon dioxide
+
Acid rain kills
trees.
WHY?
When acid rain
reaches the
ground, it
dissolves some
of the minerals
and carries
them away. This
process is
called leaching.
Without these
minerals, trees
can die.
Acid rain kills
fish in lakes.
WHY?
Many forms
of water life
are sensitive
to the pH of
the water. If
the pH
changes, they
can die.
Fish die
because they
don’t have
food to eat.