I/GCSE Chemistry- Acid Rain

In this I/GCSE Chemistry blog post, we will be looking at the causes of Acid rain, as well as what lichens are.

Carbon Monoxide 

• Carbon monoxide, CO, is produced when fuels burn in a limited amount of air. 
• It is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas. 
• Carbon monoxide passes into the red blood cells after breathing it in.
•  It binds more strongly to haemoglobin than oxygen does, so the blood will be able to carry less oxygen than it should. This can cause tiredness, unconsciousness and even death.  

Sulfur Dioxide 

• Fossil fuels naturally contain sulfur compounds. 
• These produce sulfur dioxide, a gas with a sharp, choking smell when the fuel is burned. 
• When sulfur dioxide dissolves in water droplets in clouds, it makes the rain more acidic than normal. This is called acid rain.  
• Acid rain damages the waxy layer on the leaves of trees. 
• This makes it more difficult for trees to absorb the minerals they need for healthy growth and they may die. 
• Acid rain also makes rivers and lakes too acidic for some aquatic life to survive.  

Lichens 

• Lichens can be used as biological indicators of sulfur dioxide pollution. 
• They grow in exposed places such as rocks or tree bark, which means they easily absorb water and nutrients to grow there. Rainwater contains just enough nutrients to keep them alive. 
• Air pollutants dissolved in rainwater, especially sulfur dioxide, can damage lichens and prevent them from growing. 
• This makes lichens natural indicators of air pollution. For example:

- bushy lichens need really clean air

- leafy lichens can survive a small amount of air pollution

- crusty lichens can survive in more polluted air

In places where no lichens are growing it is often a sign that the air is heavily polluted with sulfur dioxide.  

That is all!

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References:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Flichens-may-be-a-symbiosis-of-three-organisms-a-new-order-of-fungus-named-63334&psig=AOvVaw1UpQvDNdDiNRJ7vKWZdjeF&ust=1628265216313000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLiIk-KemvICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fscied.ucar.edu%2Fimage%2Fcarbon-monoxide-molecule&psig=AOvVaw046LRLEg6OdLML3ZlYHJAC&ust=1628265139899000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCOCni-memvICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Drafted by Venetia (Chemistry)