Air pollution

• why is carbon monoxide poisonous?

  • when fossil fuels burnt without enough air supply - produces carbon monoxide
  • poisonous gas - if combines with haemoglobin in Red blood cells - prevents them from carrying oxygen
  • carbon monoxide released from car emissions - modern cars 0 fitted with catalytic converters - turns carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide
• How is acid rain caused by sulfur dioxide?

  • Burning fossil fuels releases harmful gases like CO2 and sulfur dioxide
  • Sulfur dioxide comes from sulfuric impurities in the fossil fuels
  • when gas mixes with rain clouds - forms dilute sulfuric acid
  • falls as acid rain
  • internal combustion engines in cars and power stations are main causes of acid rain
• how does acid rain kill fish and trees?

  • acid rain can cause a lake to become more acidic - severe effect on lake ecosystem - many organisms are sensitive to change in pH - can't survive in more acidic conditions - many plants and animals die
  • acid rain kills trees - acid damages leaves and releases toxic substances from soil - makes it hard for trees to take up nutrients