Will Anti Acids Affect Soils Polluted By Acid Rain?

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 12th grade January 2002

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The project I have selected to do is: Will Anti Acids affect soils Polluted by Acid Rain? I chose this topic because acid rain is becoming a big problem, especially in countries such as Canada, Germany, and other European countries. Over 25% of the forests have been destroyed in these countries because of the amount of acid rain. If my project shows that anti acids considerably reduce the acidity level in soils, then people will be able to repair their damaged lawns from years of acid rain precipitation. Since over 70% of acid rain is sulfur dioxide, I believe that if I can find an anti acid with enough of a counter-base, I will be able to help neutralize soils. Another reason I chose this topic was I thought it would be interesting to try to use chemicals to undo what other chemicals have already done.

Acid rain is formed by carbon dioxide and chlorine.

They both dissolve and form carbonic acid and hydrochloric acid. The most common of acid rains is sulfur dioxide, while the hydrochloric acid tends to be rare. In North Eastern U.S.A., approximately 62% of acid rain has been sulfuric acid, 32% has been nitric acid, and 6% has been hydrochloric acid. Burning fossil fuels, the majority of that being from power stations and road transport, produces most of these gases. Sulfur acid has been said to be a greenhouse gas, and also promotes the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases are gases where CFC's are emitted, which contributes to global warming, by trapping heat between the earth and the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is a special name for global warming; because it stops the heat that is radiated from the earth from escaping, making temperatures rise higher then average. Carbon dioxide is the most well known cause...