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Q10 (IAS/2022) Environment & Ecology › Pollution & Conservation › Acid rain pollution Official Key

Consider the following : 1. Carbon monoxide 2. Nitrogen oxide 3. Ozone 4. Sulphur dioxide Excess of which of the above in the environment is/are cause(s) of acid rain ?

Result
Your answer: —  Âˇ  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2 (2 and 4 only). Acid rain is primarily caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and Sulphur dioxide (SO2) are released into the atmosphere.

The scientific reasoning is as follows:

  • Sulphur dioxide (4): When emitted, it reacts with water vapor and oxygen in the atmosphere to form Sulphuric acid (H2SO4).
  • Nitrogen oxides (2): These react with atmospheric moisture to form Nitric acid (HNO3).

Both acids decrease the pH of rainwater, leading to acid rain. In contrast, Carbon monoxide (1) is a criteria pollutant but does not contribute to acidification. Ozone (3) is a secondary pollutant and a greenhouse gas at the ground level, but it is not a direct precursor to acid rain. Therefore, only Nitrogen oxides and Sulphur dioxide are the primary causative agents.

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Q. Consider the following : 1. Carbon monoxide 2. Nitrogen oxide 3. Ozone 4. Sulphur dioxide Excess of which of the above in the environment…
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 ¡ 0/10
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This is a non-negotiable 'Sitter'. It comes directly from the 'Pollution' chapter of any standard Environment book (Shankar/NCERT). If you get this wrong, you are statistically out of the race because 95% of serious aspirants will mark this correctly.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Which of the following gases—carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and sulphur dioxide—cause acid rain?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 6: Geomorphic Movements > Anthropogenic Solution Weathering > p. 90
Presence: 5/5
“• Acid rain occurs when gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are present in the atmosphere. These oxides react in the rainwater to produce stronger acids and can lower the pH to less than 4. These acids can attack certain kinds of rocks in much the way carbonic acid does.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states acid rain occurs when sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are present in the atmosphere
  • Notes these oxides react in rainwater to produce stronger acids and markedly lower pH
Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > Acidification > p. 8
Presence: 5/5
“motor vehicles inject large amounts of these chemicals into the atmosphere. In the atmosphere, the chemicals combine with water to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid. Tese droplets may be transported at great distances by wind before they precipitate to the ground (Fig. 6.1). Te main gases involved in the production of acid rains are nitrogen oxides—sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrous oxide (NO). Te major sources of these gases is due to burning of fossil fuel and industrial processes. Acid rain is a phrase that applies to a process that results in deposition of acid on the surface of the Earth.”
Why this source?
  • Identifies the main gases involved in production of acid rains as nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide
  • Explains these gases combine with water to form sulphuric and nitric acids
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 5.I5. ACID RAIN > p. 101
Presence: 5/5
“Acid rain is the rainfall that has been acidified. It is formed when oxides of sulfur and nitrogen react with the moisture in the atmosphere. It is rain with a pH of less than 5.6. Acid rain is particularly damaging to lakes, streams, and forests and the plants and animals that live in these ecosystems.”
Why this source?
  • Defines acid rain as formed when oxides of sulfur and nitrogen react with moisture in the atmosphere
  • Gives the operational pH threshold for acid rain (rainfall acidified, pH < 5.6)
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