Given: The annual mean pH of precipitation over a region of the north Georgia mo

Question

Given: The annual mean pH of precipitation over a region of the north Georgia mountains is 4.5. Assuming that a large power plant in north Georgia is entirely responsible for the observed precipitation pH Find: Estimate the emissions of SO2 from the power plant over a year (in kg/yr). Assumptions: The power plant influences an area of the mountains that is 500 km x 500 km. The amount of precipitation over a year in the region is 500 mm. All of the SO2 emitted from the plant forms H2SO4 that is deposited to the mountains with precipitation. No other compounds influence the precipitation pH.

Explanation / Answer

2H2O + O2 + 2SO2 -----> H2SO4 H2SO4 -----> 2H+ +SO4 2 - pH = 4.5 - log [H]= 4.5 [H+] = 3.1622 x 10^-5 M 2 SO2 produce 1 H2SO4 aand 1 H2SO4 produce 2H+ so 1 SO2 produce 1H+ so [SO2] = [H+] = 3.1622 x 10^-5 M total volume of rain in a year = (500 x 500) x 10^6 x 0.5 = 1.25 x 10^11 m^3 = 1.25 x 10^14 L moles of SO2 = conc * volume = 39527.5 x 10^5 moles mass of SO2 = 64*moles = 252976 x 10^6 gms = 252976x10^3 kg

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