Live support chatAcid 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 PDH
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.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define acid rain and distinguish normal precipitation from acidic deposition.
- Explain the atmospheric chemical reactions that convert sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into sulfuric and nitric acids.
- Identify industrial, transportation, and natural sources of sulfur and nitrogen pollutants in the atmosphere.
- Describe the mechanisms of wet and dry deposition and their influence on environmental contamination.
- Explain long-range atmospheric pollution transport and the concept of transboundary environmental impacts.
- Analyze how acidic deposition alters soil chemistry and nutrient cycles.
- Explain the degradation of aquatic ecosystems and the pH thresholds that affect fish and other aquatic organisms.
- Identify respiratory and cardiovascular health risks associated with sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter.
- Describe how acidic environments can mobilize toxic metals and contaminate drinking-water systems.
- Evaluate 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. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.
| This course is applicable to professional engineers in: | ||
| Alabama (P.E.) | Alaska (P.E.) | Arkansas (P.E.) |
| Delaware (P.E.) | District of Columbia (P.E.) | Florida (P.E. Area of Practice) |
| Georgia (P.E.) | Idaho (P.E.) | Illinois (P.E.) |
| Illinois (S.E.) | Indiana (P.E.) | Iowa (P.E.) |
| Kansas (P.E.) | Kentucky (P.E.) | Louisiana (P.E.) |
| Maine (P.E.) | Maryland (P.E.) | Michigan (P.E.) |
| Minnesota (P.E.) | Mississippi (P.E.) | Missouri (P.E.) |
| Montana (P.E.) | Nebraska (P.E.) | Nevada (P.E.) |
| New Hampshire (P.E.) | New Jersey (P.E.) | New Mexico (P.E.) |
| New York (P.E.) | North Carolina (P.E.) | North Dakota (P.E.) |
| Ohio (P.E. Self-Paced) | Oklahoma (P.E.) | Oregon (P.E.) |
| Pennsylvania (P.E.) | South Carolina (P.E.) | South Dakota (P.E.) |
| Tennessee (P.E.) | Texas (P.E.) | Utah (P.E.) |
| Vermont (P.E.) | Virginia (P.E.) | West Virginia (P.E.) |
| Wisconsin (P.E.) | Wyoming (P.E.) | |
Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.
Credit: 1 PDH
Length: 11 pages
