Carbonic acid

One of the most widely studied mitigation options for reducing concentration of CO2 in atmosphere involves injecting it into the ocean at great depths, where the gaseous CO2 reacts to form carbonic acid (H2CO3) as shown in equation (2.1). This equation shows various forms of CO2 as it is dissolved in the water (brine). Depending on the pH of the solution, either forms of CO2 may be observed (CO2 (aq), 〖"HCO" 〗_"3" ^"-" , 〖"CO" 〗_"3" ^"2-" ). There are two ways for storing CO2 in ocean, either directly injected into the oceans or injected beneath ocean floor at a depth greater than 3000 meters and several hundred meters of marine sediment. The downside of this method is it endangers the marine life by as its pH alters as CO2 dissolves in water. The long-lasting impacts of direct CO2 injection into the ocean on ecosystems over large ocean areas and long-time scales have not been sufficiently studied to certify the safe implementation of this method. CO2 (g) + H2O (l) ↔ CO2 (aq) ↔ H2CO3 (aq) ↔ HCO3- + H+ ↔ CO2 + 2H+ (2.1) (Qanbari et al., 2011) 2.2.2 Mineral…

Ocean acidification a the process in which anthropogenic carbon dioxide is dissolved in the ocean to a point where it creates a dilute solution of carbonic acid. Although, dilute the solution does cause the ocean to become more acidic. The ocean is referred to as a “carbon sink” because almost a third of manmade carbon carbon dioxide has been dissolved in the ocean. The carbonic acid decomposes and creates a hydrogen ion and a bicarbonate ion. The bicarbonate ion in the case of corals impedes…

They provide food and shelter to beautiful and diverse marine life, such as the Angel Fish and the Moorish Idol. Humans use marine materials for body moisturizers, as well as for cake ingredients. When the value of these essentials is knocked down, our economy is affected by reduction in sales along with diminishing health. The majority of people get their protein from fish, and if our oceans are acidic, so then will be our food supply. Marine animals such as shrimp and lobster, which dwell in…

absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The chemical process of water molecules binding to carbon dioxide creates carbonic acid and frees hydrogen ions causing an increase in acidity. Marine animals can’t survive in water that is too acidic. Marine ecosystems are detrimentally affected by this chemical reaction. The long-term consequences of ocean acidification are expected to affect many ecosystems and what they provide for our earth. To understand ocean acidification and its affects we…

The ocean is a vast vista of blossoming life and mysterious wonders that lurk in the deep. Our exquisite ocean is being ravaged through a process known as ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is the process of carbon dioxide and numerous gases being absorbed into the ocean, which raises the ocean’s pH, causing it to become more acidic. Contrary to popular belief, terrestrial vegetation does not intake all of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The ocean absorbs about fifty-percent of…

below 7.35 therefor making your blood acidic. When this condition is present your CO2 levels could be normal but your kidneys are not production enough of the buffer called HCO3 causing the CO2 to be in a large quantity. A normal level of HCO3 would be between 22-26mEqK and in order to bring the level back to normal range the lungs would need to assist. You would need to take more breaths that way you exhale more CO2, decreasing the amount in your body and allowing the buffer to work more…

Burning of fossil fuels and deforestation are two major factors of human activities that contribute to the increment of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution. The carbon dioxide is absorbed into the ocean resulting in a process called ocean acidification. It is a process where the carbon dioxide released dissolves into the ocean changing the chemistry of the ocean and leads to decrease in the pH of the ocean making the ocean more acidic. Ocean acidification is…

Foraminifera can be an indicator for the carbon cycle The changes in ocean chemistry can impact calcifying organisms in a negative way. Plankton that calcifies are a key player in the marine carbon cycle. Recent studies have been done with a tiny-shelled organism that suggests changes in the global carbon cycle. This is the first study that has been done with high CO2 that shows a combination of shell building problems, physiological stress, and spine repair in foraminifera. For this study,…

The carbon emissions in the atmosphere are putting our ocean life in extreme danger. The ocean is absorbing a large amount of our CO2 emissions from the atmosphere and as a result, it is decreasing the fish and coral reef population. The ocean is absorbing human waste and the ocean life is in danger from it. The ocean has absorbed lots of fossil carbon emissions since the Industrial Revolution and predatory fish are down 90% from over fishing in the oceans. Human population growth adds stress…

A solution to reversing ocean acidification is to simply quit or limit air pollution. This idea may be very simple, but requires great efforts because some developed countries have become so dependent on the combustion of hydrocarbons as an energy source. By limiting pollution such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide, acids would not be able to form within the atmosphere to create acidic solutions. The cut-off of air pollution would also solve other environmental problems. The…