Question

$C{O_2}$ goes to air, causes the greenhouse effect, and gets dissolved in water. What will be the effect on soil fertility and $pH$ of the water?
A. Increase
B. Decrease
C. Remain same
D. None of these

Answer 1

Hint: In the atmosphere, there are various gases like carbon dioxide which traps heat just like the glass roof of a greenhouse, and these heat-trapping gases are known as greenhouse gases.

Complete step by step answer:
In Earth’s atmosphere, the level of carbon dioxide has been rising consistently for so many years and it traps extra heat near the surface of the earth. Due to this, the level of temperature increases. The amount of $C{O_2}$ between $65\% $ and $80\% $released into the air which dissolves into the ocean over a period of $20 - 200$ years and the rest amount is removed by slower processes that take up to several hundreds of thousands of years. It includes rock formation and chemical weathering. Carbon dioxide dissolves in water to produce the product carbonic acid. The reaction involves:
${H_2}O + C{O_2} \to {H_2}C{O_3}$.
Due to this process, the pH of the water will decrease and it becomes more acidic. Because of this soil fertility will decrease.

So, the correct answer is Option B.

Note: The dissolved carbon dioxide molecules react with water molecules to create bicarbonate ($HCO_3^ - $) and carbonate ($CO_3^{2 - }$) ions in the seawater. The concentration of these ions is abundant and depends on the acidity of seawater.

Carbonic acid breaks down into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions. The reaction involves: ${H_2}C{O_3} \to HCO_3^ - + {H^ + }$. Other greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases, water vapor, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons, etc.