- Smelting factories/facilities can produce high amounts of air pollutants ("What Effect Does Acid Rain Have on Plant Life." )
- Some of these include hydrogen fluoride, sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen ("What Effect Does Acid Rain Have on Plant Life." )
- Heavy metals are also released such as lead, arsenic, chromium, cadmium, nickel, copper and zinc("What Effect Does Acid Rain Have on Plant Life." )
- Smelting processes also use sulfuric acid which can be released into the environment - SO3+H2SO4("What Effect Does Acid Rain Have on Plant Life." )
- Steel production alone account for 5-6% of the worldwide man-made CO2 emissions ("What Effect Does Acid Rain Have on Plant Life." )
- Humans can come into with these contaminants through inhalation or ingestion("What Effect Does Acid Rain Have on Plant Life." )
- Inhalation of the pollutants occurs from gaseous emissions ("What Effect Does Acid Rain Have on Plant Life." )
- Ingestions comes from dust from these factories settling onto agriculture fields, which will eventually be eaten by humans ("What Effect Does Acid Rain Have on Plant Life." )
- From the types of pollutants smelting creates, acid rain can occur ("Pollution Issues.")
- The smelting of sulfide ores results in sulfur dioxide gas being created ("Pollution Issues.")
- Sulfur dioxide gas reacts chemically in the atmosphere (with water molecules) to create acid precipitation ("Pollution Issues.")
- This than falls to the ground increasing acidity of the soil, streams, lakes which in turn will damage vegetation and wildlife ("Pollution Issues.")
- In copper smelting, copper and selenium can be released into the area near the factory ("Pollution Issues.")
- These elements are good in small doses but very damaging in abundance ("Pollution Issues.")
- This can severely damage the vegetation in the area ("Pollution Issues.")
- Particle matter can also escape from smelters which may include oxides of such toxic metals as arsenic (poisonus), cadium (increases heart disease) and mercury ( causes nerve damage) ("Pollution Issues.")