Scribd
Upload
195 views3 pages

Explaining Sulfur Cycle

The sulfur cycle describes the movement of sulfur through the atmosphere, minerals, and living things. Sulfur is released into the atmosphere by volcanic eruptions and decaying organic material. Algae produce dimethyl sulfide which enters the atmosphere and forms sulfur dioxide upon reaction with oxygen. The burning of fossil fuels also releases sulfur dioxide. This sulfur dioxide forms sulfuric acid when reacting with water and ammonium salts when reacting with ammonia, both of which fall to earth as acid rain. Plants take up sulfate salts from the soil and animals obtain sulfur by eating plants. Upon decay, sulfur is released and can re-enter the environment or food chain.

Uploaded by

Nancy Valle
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
195 views3 pages

Explaining Sulfur Cycle

The sulfur cycle describes the movement of sulfur through the atmosphere, minerals, and living things. Sulfur is released into the atmosphere by volcanic eruptions and decaying organic material. Algae produce dimethyl sulfide which enters the atmosphere and forms sulfur dioxide upon reaction with oxygen. The burning of fossil fuels also releases sulfur dioxide. This sulfur dioxide forms sulfuric acid when reacting with water and ammonium salts when reacting with ammonia, both of which fall to earth as acid rain. Plants take up sulfate salts from the soil and animals obtain sulfur by eating plants. Upon decay, sulfur is released and can re-enter the environment or food chain.

Uploaded by

Nancy Valle
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

EXPLAINING SULFUR CYCLE

 WHAT IS SULFUR CYCLE


 Sulfur Cycle is a circulation of sulfur in various forms through
nature. Sulfur occurs in all living matter as a component of
certain amino acids. It is abundant in the soil in proteins and,
through a series of microbial transformations, ends up
as sulfates usable by plants.
 The Sulfur Cycle describes the movement of sulfur through the
atmosphere, mineral forms, and through living things.

HOW DOES SULFUR CYCLE WORK?


Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

 Generally, hydrogen sulfide gas (H 2S) is released into the


atmosphere by volcanic eruptions, hot springs, and the anaerobic
decay of sulfur-containing biological material in swamps, bogs, and
tidal flats.
 In the bodies of water, Certain mariner algae produce dimethyl
sulfide, a volatile compound that enters the atmosphere as tiny
droplets.
 And Sulfur dioxide forms when dimethyl sulfide reacts with oxygen
gas.
 Another, The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, also release
sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere.
 Sulfur dioxide reacts with atmospheric oxygen to produce sulfur
trioxide (SO3).
 Some sulfur trioxide reacts with tiny water droplets to form sulfuric
acid (H2SO4).
 Sulfur trioxide also reacts with ammonia to produce tiny particles of
ammonium salts.
 The winds carry this sulfuric acid and sulfate salts, then fall to the
earth in the form of acid deposition or Acid rain.
 Plants get sulfur by taking up ions of sulfate salts (SO 42) from the soil.
Animals get sulfur by eating plants.
 all living things release sulfur compounds when they decay.
 Decomposition releases sulfate salts as well as gaseous hydrogen
sulfide (SO42), which can be taken up by plants,
 Some hydrogen sulfide enters the atmosphere. But when decay
occurs in an oxygen-free environment, anaerobic bacteria break
down hydrogen sulfide and release sulfur gas (H 2). Oxygen-requiring
bacteria can incorporate sulfur into sulfate salts, which can be taken
up by plants and enter the food chain once again.
Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

REFERENCES

 https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Book
%3A_Microbiology_(Boundless)/16%3A_Microbial_Ecology/
16.4%3A_Nutrient_Cycles/16.4F%3A_The_Sulfur_Cycle
 https://www.britannica.com/science/sulfur-cycle
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNTTJ4N3kIE

You might also like