Acid Rain – Not a Basic Problem

In Acid Rain – Not a Basic Problem, you'll learn ...

• The historical development and scientific understanding of acid rain and atmospheric pollution
• The chemical processes responsible for the formation of sulfuric and nitric acids in the atmosphere
• The environmental, ecological, and human health consequences associated with acid deposition
• How industrial emissions, atmospheric transport, and environmental policy influence the occurrence and mitigation of acid rain

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 1 CPD

Length: 11 pages

This course traces the origins of acid rain from the Industrial Revolution to the present day, examining how the combustion of fossil fuels releases sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere and how they travel long distances before depositing sulfuric and nitric acids through dry and wet deposition processes.

The course then explores the broad environmental consequences of acid rain, from degraded soil chemistry and toxic metal mobilization to the collapse of aquatic ecosystems, as well as its impact on human health, physical infrastructure, and cultural heritage. The course concludes by evaluating the engineering and policy solutions being pursued to reduce acid rain, including emissions scrubbing, low-sulfur fuel adoption, clean energy transitions, and assesses the progress made under legislation such as Title IV of the Clean Air Act.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• The definition of acid rain and the difference between normal precipitation and acidic deposition
• The atmospheric chemical reactions that convert sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into sulfuric and nitric acids
• The industrial, transportation, and natural sources that release sulfur and nitrogen pollutants into the atmosphere
• The mechanisms of wet and dry deposition and their influence on environmental contamination
• The long-range atmospheric transport of pollution and the concept of transboundary environmental impacts
• The alteration of soil chemistry and nutrient cycles resulting from acidic deposition
• The degradation of aquatic ecosystems and the pH thresholds that affect fish and aquatic organisms
• The respiratory and cardiovascular health risks associated with sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter
• The mobilization of toxic metals and the contamination of drinking water systems in acidic environments
• The engineering and policy strategies used to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 10 questions. CPD credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.