Sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula SO 2. It is a toxic gas responsible for the
smell of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic activity and is produced as a by-
product of copper extraction and the burning of sulfur-bearing fossil fuels. Sulfur dioxide has a
pungent smell like nitric acid.
Sulfur dioxide is found on Earth and exists in very small concentrations and in the atmosphere at
about 1 ppm. On other planets, sulfur dioxide can be found in various concentrations, the most
significant being the atmosphere of Venus, where it is the third-most abundant atmospheric gas
at 150 ppm. There, it reacts with water to form clouds of sulfuric acid, and is a key component of
the planet's global atmospheric sulfur cycle and contributes to global warming.
Sulfur dioxide is the product of the burning of sulfur or of burning materials that contain sulfur:
S + O2 → SO2
The combustion of hydrogen sulfide and organosulfur compounds proceeds similarly. For
example: 2H2S + 3 O2 → 2 H2O + 2 SO2
The roasting of sulfide ores such as pyrite, sphalerite, and cinnabar (mercury sulfide) also
releases SO2: 4 FeS2 + 11 O2 → 2 Fe2O3 + 8 SO2
Featuring sulfur in the +4 oxidation state, sulfur dioxide is a reducing agent. It is oxidized by
halogens to give the sulfuryl halides, such as sulfuryl chloride: SO2 + Cl2 → SO2Cl2
Sulfur dioxide is an intermediate in the production of sulfuric acid, being converted to sulfur
trioxide, and then to oleum, which is made into sulfuric acid. Sulfur dioxide for this purpose is
made when sulfur combines with oxygen. The method of converting sulfur dioxide to sulfuric
acid is called the contact process. Several billion kilograms are produced annually for this
purpose.
Sulfur dioxide is a major air pollutant and has significant impacts upon human health. In
addition, the concentration of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere can influence the habitat
suitability for plant communities, as well as animal life. Sulfur dioxide emissions are a precursor
to acid rain and atmospheric particulates. In the gas phase sulfur dioxide is oxidized by reaction
with the hydroxyl radical via an intermolecular reaction: SO2 + OH· → HOSO2·
which is followed by:
HOSO2· + O2 → HO2· + SO3
In the presence of water, sulfur trioxide (SO3) is converted rapidly to sulfuric acid:
SO3 (g) + H2O (l) → H2SO4 (aq)