Acid rain Knowledge-Based Practice

Questions

1. 1.

   Which chemical remediation method is widely employed to restore neutral conditions in lakes and streams acidified by acid rain?

   • A) Introducing alum to precipitate dissolved phosphate ions
   • B) Sparging dissolved ozone to oxidize trace organic impurities
   • C) Dispersing activated carbon to adsorb toxic heavy metals
   • D) Spreading pulverized limestone to neutralize excess acidity
2. 2.

   Which industrial emission-control technology is specifically employed in fossil-fuel power stations to capture sulfur dioxide before it is released into the atmosphere to form acid rain?

   • A) Electrostatic precipitation
   • B) Selective catalytic reduction
   • C) Flue-gas desulfurization
   • D) Carbon capture and storage
3. 3.

   When acid rain percolates through forest soils, which geochemical process is primarily responsible for damaging tree roots and causing severe toxicity in neighboring aquatic habitats?

   • A) Accumulation of insoluble calcium carbonate in the upper soil horizon
   • B) Leaching of toxic aluminum ions from soil minerals into groundwater and surface runoff
   • C) Rapid fixation of atmospheric nitrogen into biologically inert nitrate minerals
   • D) Conversion of dissolved heavy metals into non-toxic organometallic precipitates
4. 4.

   Which chemical transformation is directly responsible for the erosion and structural crumbling of outdoor marble and limestone monuments when subjected to acid rain?

   • A) Calcium carbonate reacts with dissolved ozone to yield calcium peroxide, oxygen gas, and water.
   • B) Calcium silicate in the stone oxidizes into calcium oxide and volatile sulfur dioxide fumes.
   • C) Calcium hydroxide reacts with atmospheric nitrogen gas to produce soluble calcium nitrate crystals.
   • D) Calcium carbonate in the stone reacts with sulfuric acid to form calcium sulfate, carbon dioxide, and water.
5. 5.

   Normal unpolluted rainwater has a pH of approximately 5.6 due to dissolved carbon dioxide, whereas acid rain exhibits a lower pH primarily caused by the atmospheric emission and oxidation of which pair of pollutants?

   • A) Carbon monoxide ($\text{CO}$) and methane ($\text{CH}_4$)
   • B) Sulfur dioxide ($\text{SO}_2$) and nitrogen dioxide ($\text{NO}_2$)
   • C) Chlorofluorocarbons ($\text{CFCs}$) and ozone ($\text{O}_3$)
   • D) Ammonia ($\text{NH}_3$) and hydrogen sulfide ($\text{H}_2\text{S}$)

Answers and step-by-step solutions appear after you finish the test.