Isaac Baje Juztin Alvarez Matthew Soriano Sean Castello TITLE: THE EFFECTS OF ACID RAIN ON DIFFERENT METALS

2-I 10/7/12

PROBLEM STAEMENT: How does acid rain affect the amount of rust on different metals? HYPOTHESIS: We think that the metals will corrode during our given time which is 3 weeks. OBJECTIVES: To detemine the most resilient metal under the downpour when acid rain happens. To weigh the metals after a given time peroid. To detemine whtat type of metal may be well suited in terms of effectiveness and cost. To see how long can a metal withstand the onsluaght of acid rain before rusting. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: 1.) "Acid rain" is a broad term referring to a mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. The precursors, or chemical forerunners, of acid rain formation result from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) resulting from fossil fuel combustion. In the United States, roughly 2/3 of all SO2 and 1/4 of all NOx come from electric power generation that relies on burning fossil fuels, like coal. Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. The result is a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. When sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from power plants and other sources, prevailing winds blow these compounds across state and national borders, sometimes over hundreds of miles.

2.) Wet Deposition - Wet deposition refers to acidic rain, fog, and snow. If the acid chemicals in the air are blown into areas where the weather is wet, the acids can fall to the ground in the form of rain, snow, fog, or mist. As this acidic water flows over and through the ground, it affects a variety of plants and animals. The strength of the effects depends on several factors, including how acidic the water is; the chemistry and buffering capacity of the soils involved; and the types of fish, trees, and other living things that rely on the water.

3.) Dry Deposition - In areas where the weather is dry, the acid chemicals may become incorporated into dust or smoke and fall to the ground through dry deposition, sticking to the ground, buildings, homes, cars, and trees. Dry deposited gases and particles can be washed from these surfaces by rainstorms, leading to increased runoff. This runoff water makes the resulting mixture more acidic. About half of the acidity in the atmosphere falls back to earth through dry deposition.

4.) Effects of Acid Rain - Automotive Coatings - Over the past two decades, there have been numerous reports of damage to automotive paints and other coatings. The reported damage typically occurs on horizontal surfaces and appears as irregularly shaped, permanently etched areas. The damage can best be detected under fluorescent lamps, can be most easily observed on dark colored vehicles, and appears to occur after evaporation of a moisture droplet. In addition, some evidence suggests damage occurs most frequently on freshly painted vehicles. Usually the damage is permanent; once it has occurred, the only solution is to repaint. The general consensus within the auto industry is that some form of environmental fallout causes the damage. Environmental fallouta term widely used in the auto and coatings industriesrefers to damage caused by air pollution (e.g., acid rain), decaying insects, bird droppings, pollen, and tree sap. The results of laboratory experiments and at least one field study have demonstrated that acid rain can scar automotive coatings. Furthermore, chemical analyses of the damaged areas of some exposed test panels indicate elevated levels of sulfate, implicating acid rain. The popular term acid rain refers to both wet and dry deposition of acidic pollutants that may damage material surfaces, including auto finishes. These pollutants, which are released when coal and other fossil fuels are burned, react with water vapor and oxidants in the atmosphere and are chemically transformed into sulfuric and nitric acids. The acidic compounds then may fall to earth as rain,

snow, fog, or may join dry particles and fall as dry deposition. All forms of acid rain, including dry deposition, especially when dry acidic deposition is mixed with dew or rain, may damage automotive coatings. However, it has been difficult to quantify the specific contribution of acid rain to paint finish damage relative to damage caused by other forms of environmental fallout, by the improper application of paint or by deficient paint formulations. According to coating experts, trained specialists can differentiate between the various forms of damage, but the best way of determining the cause of chemically induced damage is to conduct a detailed, chemical analysis of the damaged area. Because evaporation of acidic moisture appears to be a key element in the damage, any steps taken to eliminate its occurrence on freshly painted vehicles may alleviate the problem. These steps include frequent washing followed by hand drying, covering the vehicle during precipitation events, and use of one of the protective coatings currently on the market that claim to protect the original finish. However, data on the performance of these coatings are not yet sufficient. The auto and coatings industries are fully aware of the potential damage and are actively pursuing the development of coatings that are more resistant to environmental fallout, including acid rain. The problem is not a universal oneit does not affect all coatings or all vehicles even in geographic areas known to be subject to acid rainwhich suggests that technology exists to protect against this damage. Until that technology is implemented to protect all vehicles or until acid deposition is adequately reduced, frequent washing and drying and covering of the vehicle appear to be the best methods for consumers who wish to minimize acid rain damage. 5.) Effects of Acid Rain Materials - Acid rain and the dry deposition of acidic particles contribute to the corrosion of metals (such as bronze) and the deterioration of paint and stone (such as marble and limestone). These effects significantly reduce the societal value of buildings, bridges, cultural objects (such as statues, monuments, and tombstones), and cars. Dry deposition of acidic compounds can also dirty buildings and other structures, leading to increased maintenance costs. To reduce damage to automotive paint caused by acid rain and acidic dry deposition, some manufacturers use acidresistant paints, at an average cost of $5 for each new vehicle (or a total of $61 million per year for all new cars and trucks sold in the U.S.). EPAsAcid Rain Program will reduce damage to materials by limiting SO2 emissions. The benefits of EPAs Acid Rain Program are measured, in part, by the costs now paid to repair or prevent damagethe costs of repairing buildings and bridges, using acidresistant paints on new vehicles, plus the value that society places on the details of a statue lost forever to acid rain.

6.) Effects of Acid Rain - Human Health - Acid rain looks, feels, and tastes just like clean rain. The harm to people from acid rain is not direct. Walking in acid rain, or even swimming in an acid lake, is no more dangerous than walking or swimming in clean water. However, the pollutants that cause acid rainsulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)do damage human health. These gases interact in the atmosphere to form fine sulfate and nitrate particles that can be transported long distances by winds and inhaled deep into people's lungs. Fine particles can also penetrate indoors. Many scientific studies have identified a relationship between elevated levels of fine particles and increased illness and premature death from heart and lung disorders, such as asthma and bronchitis. Based on health concerns, SO2 and NOx have historically been regulated under the Clean Air Act, including the Acid Rain Program. In the eastern U.S., sulfate aerosols make up about 25 percent of fine particles. By lowering SO2 and NOx emissions from power generation, the Acid Rain Program will reduce the levels of fine sulfate and nitrate particles and so reduce the incidence and the severity of these health problems. When fully implemented by the year 2010, the public health benefits of the Acid Rain Program are estimated to be valued at $50 billion annually, due to decreased mortality, hospital admissions, and emergency room visits. Decreases in NOx emissions are also expected to have a beneficial impact on human health by reducing the nitrogen oxides available to react with volatile organic compounds and form ozone. Ozone impacts on human health include a number of morbidity and mortality risks associated with lung inflammation, including asthma and emphysema.

7.) Effects of Acid Rain Visibility - Sulfates and nitrates that form in the atmosphere from sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions contribute to visibility impairment, meaning we cannot see as far or as clearly through the air. Sulfate particles account for 50 to 70 percent of the visibility reduction in the eastern part of the U.S., affecting our enjoyment of national parks, such as the Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountains. The Acid Rain Program is expected to improve the visual range in the eastern U.S. by 30 percent. Based on a study of the value national park visitors place on visibility, the visual range improvements expected at national parks of the eastern United States due to the Acid Rain Program's SO2 reductions will be worth over a billion dollars annually by the year 2010. In the western part of the U.S., nitrates and carbon also play roles, but sulfates have been implicated as an important source of visibility impairment in many of the Colorado River Plateau national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, and Bryce Canyon.

8.) Effects of Acid Rain Forests - Over the years, scientists, foresters, and others have noted a slowed growth of some forests. Leaves and needles turn brown and fall off when they should be green and healthy. In extreme cases, individual trees or entire areas of the forest simply die off without an obvious reason. After much analysis, researchers now know that acid rain causes slower growth, injury, or death of forests. Acid rain has been implicated in forest and soil degradation in many areas of the eastern U.S., particularly high elevation forests of the Appalachian Mountains from Maine to Georgia that include areas such as the Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountain National Parks. Of course, acid rain is not the only cause of such conditions. Other factors contribute to the overall stress of these areas, including air pollutants, insects, disease, drought, or very cold weather. In most cases, in fact, the impacts of acid rain on trees are due to the combined effects of acid rain and these other environmental stressors. After many years of collecting information on the chemistry and biology of forests, researchers are beginning to understand how acid rain works on the forest soil, trees, and other plants.

SUMMARY: The effects of acid rain are deadly to most life forms on earth which is suprisingly even slowing down the very groth rate of some forests you can only identify if the forest you are in is affected with acid rain if its leaves are brown and will fall off when they should be lush green and

full of life. Acid rain also affects our visibility which greatly affects our normal way of monitoring how our enviroment is happening. It also harms our body by lung inflammation, asthma and emphysema. It is well known to affect metal and other parts of our house that is always in contact with the elements.

SCOPE/LIMITATIONS: In our IP we will be dealing with the metals that are mostly found on roofs or the ones used for constructions. We will be buying from the local hardware stores for the metals that we will you use in our IP. We will buy 3 different kinds of metal for our roofs in this we will be able to test if those different metals we will react differntly if they are submerged in acidic water.

METHODOLOGY:

Materials: 1 aluminum roof tile 1 tin roof tile 1 galvanized iron roof tile 3 plastic containers 3 liters of acid water (nitric acid + water) 1 weighing scale 1 tape measure 1 sealed room

3 weeks time

Procedure: 1. All the materials were gathered. 2. Measure the height and weight of the roof tile before putting in the plastic container 3. The aluminum roof tile was placed inside the plastic container. 4. It was then labeled CONTAINER A. 5. Steps 2-3 were repeated until we had CONTAINER B AND CONTAINER C. 6. All materials were cleaned and putted to place. 7. In a span of 3 weeks CONTAINERS A,B and C were constantly submerged in acid water. 8. Monitoring the experiments evey 12 hours. 9. After 3 weeks open the plastic containers. 10. Put CONTAINER A on the weighing scale and measure its weight. 11. Repeat step 9 until all containers are done being weighed. 12. After measuring the weight measure the height of CONTAINER A. 13. Repeat step 11 two more time until all COTAINERs have been measued. SOURCE/S:

http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/index.html http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/forests.html http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/auto.html

Accessed on 10/7/12 Accessed on10/7/12 Accessed on 10/7/12

http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/materials.html Accessed on 10/7/12 http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/visibility.html Accessed on 10/7/12 http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects/health.html Accessed on 10/7/12