Why Does Acid Rain Attack Marble Statues

Acid precipitation affects stone primarily in two ways.

Why does acid rain attack marble statues.

Acid rain has also attacked the chiseled words on some tombstones rendering them unreadable. Buildings and statues made from rock are damaged as a result. The marble has caco as the major component. This is worse when the rock is limestone.

Although many different types of stone have been used for sculpture the most vulnerable to potential acid rain damage are marble and limestone steiger 2015 the former is essentially a recrystallized form of the latter. When sulfurous sulfuric and nitric acids in polluted air react with the calcite in marble and limestone the calcite dissolves. Acid rain effects on buildings. Acids in the rain react with the calcium compounds in the stones to create gypsum which then flakes off.

The most notable effects occur on marble and limestone which are common building materials found in many historic structures monuments and gravestones. In exposed areas of buildings and statues we see roughened surfaces removal of material and loss of carved details. The acids in acid rains can react with caco by producing soluble salts. Both are composed of calcite caco 3 other types of stone which are composed of silicate minerals such as granite or sandstone are intrinsically more resistant to acid attack.

Acid rain can damage buildings historic monuments and statues especially those made of rocks such as limestone and marble that contain large amounts of calcium carbonate. That is why forests and lakes in the countryside can be harmed by acid rain that originates in cities. Acid rain acid rain effects on human made structures. Old statues monuments and tombstones are vulnerable to acid rain because they were made of limestone.

Sulfur dioxide plus water makes sulfurous acid. Effects of acid rain. When sulfurous sulfuric and nitric acids in polluted air and rain react with the calcite in marble and limestone the calcite dissolves. That s why acid rain dissolves statues made of marble.

Although acid rain gases may originate in urban areas they are often carried for hundreds of miles in the atmosphere by winds into rural areas. Over decades of exposure to acid rain the details of a statue can be lost slowly turning them into featureless blobs. Stone surface material may be lost all over or only in spots that are more reactive. Acid deposition also affects human made structures.

The environment can generally adapt to a certain amount of acid rain. Sulfur dioxide an acid rain precursor can react directly with limestone in the presence of water to form gypsum which eventually. In exposed areas of buildings and statues we see roughened. How does acid precipitation affect marble and limestone buildings.

Acids have a corrosive effect on limestone or marble buildings or sculptures.