MadSci Network: Chemistry |
All forms of sulfur burn with a blue flame to create pungent sulfur dioxide, SO2. This same gas is an antioxidant and can be used to preserve the clarity of white wine or to store fruit. When SO2 is produced on an industrial scale and released into the atmosphere, however, it reacts with hydroxyl in the air to create sulfuric acid, a component of acidic precipitation. Acid rain kills many species of fish, corrodes buildings and automobiles and most importantly it agrivates the conditions of patients with respiratory diseases.
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Chemistry.