Which pollutants are mentioned as contributors to air pollution and acid rain from fossil fuel combustion?

Which pollutants are mentioned as contributors to air pollution and acid rain from fossil fuel combustion?

• A. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
• B. Carbon monoxide
• C. Methane and ozone
• D. Hydrogen sulfide

Answer: (A)

Air pollution and acid rain from burning fossil fuels are mainly driven by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Sulfur dioxide forms sulfuric acid in the atmosphere, while nitrogen oxides lead to nitric acid; both acids melt into rain and contribute to acidic precipitation. These gases come from combusting sulfur-containing fuels and from high-temperature oxidation of nitrogen in the air, making them the primary contributors among the listed options. The other substances are pollutants in different ways—carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion, methane and ozone related to greenhouse gas effects and ground-level ozone formation, and hydrogen sulfide from sulfur compounds—but they are not the main drivers of acid rain from fossil fuel use.

Air pollution and acid rain from burning fossil fuels are mainly driven by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Sulfur dioxide forms sulfuric acid in the atmosphere, while nitrogen oxides lead to nitric acid; both acids melt into rain and contribute to acidic precipitation. These gases come from combusting sulfur-containing fuels and from high-temperature oxidation of nitrogen in the air, making them the primary contributors among the listed options. The other substances are pollutants in different ways—carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion, methane and ozone related to greenhouse gas effects and ground-level ozone formation, and hydrogen sulfide from sulfur compounds—but they are not the main drivers of acid rain from fossil fuel use.