Acid Rain Critical Essay Example

also taken into account as the production of sulfuric acid releases harmful substances like sulfur dioxide which contributes to acid rain and poses a significant threat to the environment. Proximity to water supplies is another important factor as many manufacturing plants require water for cooling purposes. Along with these considerations, other factors include land availability at an affordable price, suitable climate conditions for the proposed site, meeting living condition needs for relocating workers, and any incentives offered by governments to encourage locating in specific regions. The process of producing sulfuric acid involves passing a purified dry gas mixture containing sulfur dioxide and oxygen through a preheater into a steel reactor with a platinum or vanadium peroxide catalyst.This catalyst aids in the conversion of sulfur dioxide to trioxide, which subsequently reacts with water to form sulfuric acid. In practice, the reaction occurs between sulfur trioxide and recycled sulfuric acid instead of pure water. The resulting product from this process is high purity acid that can be diluted or strengthened using sulfur trioxide to produce oleums. Various sources such as pure sulfur, pyrite, smelter operations, or oxidized hydrogen sulfide recovered from purifying water gas, refinery gas, natural gas, and other fuels can provide the necessary sulfur dioxide for producing sulfuric acid.

The battery acid industry heavily relies on sulfuric acid as batteries generate power through chemical reactions. These reactions happen when elements combine to form compounds and create an electric current due to electrical forces within atoms. A battery cell consists of three main components: a positively charged electrode called the cathode, a negatively charged electrode known as the anode, and an electrolyte—a chemical substance in which the

electrodes are immersed. In both wet and dry cells, there must be enough liquid present for the chemical reactions to occur. When certain substances dissolve in water, their molecules separate into ions with electric charges—for instance,sulfuric acid (H2SO4), consisting of two hydrogen atoms, one sulfur atom,and four oxygen atoms.When dissolved in water, hydrogen atoms become positively charged ions (H+), while sulfur and oxygen combine to form a sulfate group (SO4) that gains two lost electrons from hydrogen to carry a negative charge (SO4--). These sulfate groups can combine with oppositely charged groups to create other compounds. The lead-acid cell uses sulfuric acid as its electrolyte and is widely used as a secondary battery type, especially in automobiles. We will explain how the lead-storage battery undergoes charging and discharging phases using sulfuric acid as its electrolyte. This battery consists of two electrodes: one made of lead and the other made of lead peroxide. The electrodes are immersed in a sulfuric acid solution. The lead electrode acts as the anode, while the lead peroxide electrode functions as the cathode. During operation, both electrodes react and transform into lead sulfate. Electrons are accepted by lead peroxide at the cathode, releasing oxygen and creating lead oxide which combines with sulfate ions to produce lead sulfate. Simultaneously, hydrogen ions from sulfuric acid react with released oxygen to produce water.
Once all the sulfuric acid is consumed, the battery becomes "discharged" and stops generating current. To recharge it, a reverse current is applied that reverses previous reactions and causes new formation of lead at the anode and fresh formation of lead peroxide at the cathodeShifting our focus, let's determine the pH value

given a sulfuric acid concentration of 0.0443 mol/L and a hydrogen ion concentration of 0.0886 mol/L. Moving on, we will calculate the volume of a lake using specific measurements (2000m x 800m x 50m). This yields a volume of 800 million cubic meters or 8x10^8 m3. Converting this to liters (1m3 = 1000L), we find that the volume is equal to 8x10^11 L.

To neutralize this amount, we multiply the sulfuric acid concentration (0.0443 mol/L) by the large volume, resulting in approximately 3.54 x 10^10 mol of H2SO4 in water.

The equation for determining the number of moles of NaOH needed is:
# mol NaOH = 3.54 x 1010 mol H2SO4 x 2 mol NaOH/1 mol H2SO4 =7.08 x1010molofNaOHneeded.

Using this equation, we find that a mass of 2.83 x109 kgNaOH or 2.83x1012gofNaOHisrequiredtoneutralizethelakewater.

Comparing sodium hydroxide and limestone for neutralizing the lake water reveals differences: Sodium hydroxide produces water when reacting with an acid and easily dissolves in water.However, using sodium hydroxide to neutralize a lake can pose problems.One concern is that it releases heat when dissolved in water, potentially harming aquatic organisms.

In addition, the transportation of large quantities of this corrosive substance for lake neutralization poses significant environmental risks in case of a spillage. The chemical equation to create water using sodium hydroxide is 2NaOH + H2SO4 -> Na2SO4 + H2O. Another method to neutralize a lake is liming, which involves the use of limestone. This approach should be approached cautiously as it cannot fully restore the aquatic ecosystem even if pH levels return to normal. When limestone dissolves in water, it releases carbon dioxide, which can cause issues such as reduced oxygen content and excessive algae growth,

negatively affecting fish and other organisms. Limestone takes longer than sodium hydroxide to dissolve, thus prolonging the time required to neutralize a lake with sulfuric acid. The equation for neutralization using limestone is CaCO3 + H2SO4 -> CaSO4 + H2O.
Highly acidic or alkaline conditions in lakes have adverse effects on plant and animal life and can lead to reproductive failure and physical abnormalities in fish over time. While a lower pH can help neutralize toxic metals, these metals can accumulate in fish and contaminate the food chain, rendering them unsafe for human consumption. Acidification of a lake has various negative impacts on the aquatic ecosystem including decreased phytoplankton production, growth productivity of aquatic plants, and potential elimination of zooplankton species.In lake waters, acidic conditions hinder bacterial decomposition of dead matter, leading to an overfertilization of algae and other microscopic plant life. This excessive growth of algae causes algae blooms that consume oxygen, resulting in oxygen starvation for other organisms in the water. The effects extend beyond aquatic organisms to animals dependent on aquatic plants for survival. Excess acidity or alkalinity disrupts the entire aquatic ecosystem as disturbances to one organism have repercussions throughout the food chain.

Furthermore, when water has an excess of base or acid, only a few plants can thrive under such conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to locate a plant employing 40% of the town's population near the town while maintaining a safe distance due to potential plant leakage that could severely impact the town. Choosing a location for this plant should consider factors such as easy access to raw materials, proximity to major transportation routes, availability of energy resources, and adequate water

supply.

Additionally, it is important to assess whether general living conditions are suitable for workers in that area. Concerns arise regarding pollution in the Great Lakes because approximately 3630 kilograms of toxic chemicals enter these lakes, nearby land, and air every day.In the Great Lakes, a vast amount of pollutants such as DDT, PCBs, mercury, dioxins, and mirex have been deposited over time. This has resulted in significant pollution issues for Lake Ontario, which supplies drinking water to approximately 4.6 million people. The lake is affected by both toxic chemicals discharged into the water and industrial air pollutants. These environmental problems are a major concern for Lake Ontario and its surrounding areas.

The lakes contain various harmful substances including salts from urban streets, coliform bacteria from sewage systems, phosphorus, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals. The presence of these toxic chemicals poses serious health risks such as brain damage, birth defects,and cancer. Moreover, they negatively impact top predator species as they accumulate through the food chain.

Living near the highly polluted Great Lakes puts around 35 million individuals at increasing health risks due to environmental contaminants. Furthermore, millions more within this region are exposed to hazardous chemicals on a daily basis due to contaminated water sources containing fish with high concentrations of toxins and inhaling polluted air.

Mulroney emphasized the importance of addressing these significant risks posed by these chemicals and put forward a three-stage plan to combat pollution over the next decade. The first stage entails implementing a "toxic freeze" that aims to prevent new polluters from introducing pipes or smokestacks in the area while preserving existing ones intact.In the second stage of pollution control, efforts are focused

on addressing "non-point sources" of pollution like pesticide-loaded runoff. Additionally, stricter regulations will be implemented for current polluters during permit renewal to reduce their pollution levels. Consumers are also being encouraged to demand pesticide-free food.

International agreements have been established to restore and cleanse the Great Lakes. In 1989, Canada's federal Conservative government announced a $125 million investment over five years for Great Lakes cleanup. However, estimates suggest that restoring their purity may cost up to $100 billion.

Due to the decline in drinking water quality and increased uncertainty regarding the government's ability to maintain its quality, people are purchasing water treatment devices and purifiers. Despite treated tap water generally being safe, consumers still prefer purifiers despite drawbacks associated with each method used for cleansing water.

Many filters use activated carbon but are ineffective at removing heavy metals like lead. While a small sink-tap charcoal strainer can improve the appearance and taste of cloudy water, it does not effectively reduce heavy metals.

Another option for water treatment is a distillation unit that converts water into steam and condenses it back into a cleaner state. However, this process can introduce harmful chemicals with low boiling points into the water.A reverse-osmosis device, which incorporates advanced membranes, is used to separate pure water from impurities. However, it typically wastes three gallons of water for every gallon produced. Some machines also utilize ultraviolet light to eliminate germs. There are various specific water filters available such as the NSA 3000HM high density filter that is designed to remove lead, iron, sulfur, and manganese from drinking water. Another example is the NSA Bateriostatic water treatment system that eliminates chlorine, unpleasant taste and odors, reduces sediment

and discoloration, and inhibits bacteria growth. These processes effectively reduce impurities in water and some machines combine multiple approaches.

In terms of addressing pollution in the Great Lakes within U.S.-Canada relations: In 1972, the U.S. chairman of the International Joint Commission initiated a study to evaluate how urban development and agricultural land use impact pollution in the Great Lakes. The objective was to find solutions and estimate cleanup costs. During this time period, Canada and the United States signed a Great Lakes Quality Agreement. By 1974, concerns were raised by Canada regarding delays in Washington's funding for the cleanup compared to initial expectations at the time of signing the agreement. In 1978, both countries established a goal of achieving zero pollution discharge in the Great Lakes.The aim established in 1978 to completely eradicate persistent toxic pollutants rather than simply reducing industrial discharge levels was reaffirmed in 1987. Mulroney proposed a 50% reduction in industrial sulfide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 1994. The Canada-U.S. International Joint Commission holds biennial meetings to address Great Lakes pollution and related matters, currently working on a ten-year plan for cleaning up the Great Lakes. An article titled "Information Scarce On Great Lakes Chemicals" published on Oct.14, 1989 by The Globe and Mail emphasizes the lack of information concerning chemicals present in the Great Lakes. The Ministry of Environment provided information about acid rain, while Kimberly Sanderson's report from Environment Council of Edmonton, Alberta in 1984 focused on emissions that contribute to acid formation. These details can also be found in volume 2 of The New How It Works from Westport Connecticut.