Combine auto trips during the day. Postpone errands that require starting your car until later in the day. Sulfur dioxide is the result of burning coal and oil. It is produced primarily by electric power plants, coal-burning factories, refineries, steel plants, and pulp and paper mills. It is a colorless, nonflammable, nonexplosive gas that reacts with other materials to form hazardous substances like sulfuric acid.
Sulfur dioxides react with precipitation to form acid precipitation, better known as acid rain.
A continuous monitor measures sulfur dioxide. Health and other effects of elevated SO 2 levels Irritate upper respiratory tract and aggravate respiratory disorders, such as coughing, chest colds, asthma, and pneumonia. Increase incidences of emphysema, lung cancer, and chronic bronchitis. Weaken and disintegrate leather. Airborne particulates are a result of smoke, soot, and fly ash from factories or power plants.