Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide and the Environment

Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide and the Environment

Acid rain is caused when oxygen and water in the atmosphere react with sulfur dioxide to produce sulfuric acid (ouch), or with various oxides of nitrogen to give nitric acid. These mainly come from power stations, burning fossil fuels, motor vehicles etc.

Acid rain can kill trees and make lakes so acidic it cannot support life. Limestone and some metals such as iron are also attacked by acid rain.

The solution to acid rain involves removing sulfur from fuels, using catalytic converters in cars and scrubbing the gases from power stations to remove the oxides. The catalyst helps convert nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen gas but has no effect on sulfur dioxide.