Acid rain

Book · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5303302

Ostmann, R Jr

The book describes numerous environmental problems which are the result of emissions from coal combustion, petroleum products combustion, petroleum refining, and non-ferrous smelting. The effects of acid rain on soils, plants, water, aquatic ecosystems, and building materials are described. Studies are discussed which show that wind currents are carrying emissions to locations far from the source, with social, economic, and political implications. New technologies are described which could ameliorate some of the problems. These include dry scrubbing, regenerative scrubbing, coal washing, fluidized bed combustion and microbiological processes. However, methods for the control of carbon dioxide, metals, radioactive particles and carcinogens have not been developed. A successful acid rain policy is described: 1) use less energy and use it more efficiently; 2) burn only enough coal to supply energy we cannot generate more easily and safely in other ways; and 3) restrict the load of pollution that can be discharged into the air in any given region. (JMT)

• OSTI ID: 5303302
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560305 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACID RAIN
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BIODEGRADATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARCINOGENS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COMBUSTION
DECOMPOSITION
DENITRIFICATION
DESULFURIZATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
FISHES
FLUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTION
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
GASEOUS WASTES
GLOBAL ASPECTS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
PLUMES
POLITICAL ASPECTS
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
RAIN
SCRUBBING
SMELTERS
SOILS
STACK DISPOSAL
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSFRONTIER POLLUTION
VERTEBRATES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES