Phuma emafutheni nasegesini! Kodwa usithathaphi isibabule? | I-Scientists4Future AT

nguMartin Auer

Isixazululo ngasinye sidala izinkinga ezintsha. Ukuze sinqande isimo sezulu esibucayi, kufanele siyeke ukushisa amalahle, uwoyela negesi ngokushesha okukhulu. Kodwa uwoyela negesi yemvelo ngokuvamile iqukethe 1 kuya ku-3 iphesenti lesibabule. Futhi lesi sibabule siyadingeka. Okungukuthi ekukhiqizeni umanyolo we-phosphate kanye nasekukhishweni kwezinsimbi ezidingekayo kubuchwepheshe obusha obuluhlaza, kusukela kumasistimu we-photovoltaic kuya kumabhethri ezimoto zikagesi. 

Njengamanje umhlaba usebenzisa amathani ayizigidi ezingama-246 e-sulfuric acid ngonyaka. Amaphesenti angaphezu kuka-80 esibabule asetshenziswa emhlabeni wonke avela ezibasweni ezimbiwa phansi. I-Sulfur okwamanje iwumkhiqizo ongcolile osuka ekuhlanzweni kwemikhiqizo yezinsalela ukuze kukhawulwe ukukhishwa kwe-sulphur dioxide edala imvula ene-asidi. Ukuqeda lezi zibaseli kuzonciphisa kakhulu ukutholakala kwesibabule, kanti isidingo sizokhula. 

UMark Maslin unguSolwazi we-Earth System Science e-University College London. Ucwaningo olwenziwa ngaphansi kokuqondisa kwakhe[1] ithole ukuthi i-fassil phase-out edingekayo ukuze kufinyelelwe ekuhlosweni kwe-net-zero izobe ingekho amathani afinyelela ku-2040 million wesulfure ngo-320, ngaphezu kwalokho esikusebenzisa minyaka yonke namuhla. Lokhu kungaholela ekwenyukeni kwentengo ye-sulfuric acid. Lawa manani angathathwa kalula yizimboni "eziluhlaza" ezinenzuzo enkulu kunabakhiqizi bomanyolo. Lokhu kuzokwenza ukuthi umanyolo ubize kakhulu futhi ukudla kubize kakhulu. Abakhiqizi abancane emazweni ampofu ikakhulukazi bangakwazi ukuthenga umanyolo omncane futhi isivuno sabo sizokwehla.

Isibabule sitholakala emikhiqizweni eminingi, kusukela kumathayi emoto kuya ephepheni nasezihlahleni zokuwasha. Kodwa ukusetshenziswa kwayo okubaluleke kakhulu kusembonini yamakhemikhali, lapho i-sulfuric acid isetshenziselwa ukudiliza izinto ezihlukahlukene. 

Ukukhula okusheshayo kobuchwepheshe bekhabhoni ephansi njengamabhethri asebenza kahle kakhulu, izinjini zezimoto ezincane noma amaphaneli elanga kuzoholela ekwenyukeni kwezimayini zamaminerali, ikakhulukazi ama-ores aqukethe i-cobalt ne-nickel. Isidingo se-cobalt singakhuphuka ngamaphesenti angama-2 ngo-2050, i-nickel ngamaphesenti angama-460 kanye ne-neodymium ngamaphesenti angama-99. Zonke lezi zinsimbi namuhla zikhishwa kusetshenziswa inani elikhulu le-sulfuric acid.
Ukwanda kwenani labantu emhlabeni kanye nokushintsha kwemikhuba yokudla kuzokwandisa nesidingo se-sulfuric acid embonini kamanyolo.

Nakuba kunenqwaba yamaminerali e-sulphate, i-iron sulfide kanye ne-elemental sulphur, okuhlanganisa namadwala entaba-mlilo, izimayini kuzodingeka zandiswe kakhulu ukuze zikhishwe. Ukuguqula ama-sulfate abe yisulfure kudinga amandla amaningi futhi kubangela ukukhishwa okukhulu kwe-CO2 nezindlela zamanje. Ukukhishwa nokucutshungulwa kwamaminerali esulfure ne-sulfide kungaba umthombo wokungcola komoya, inhlabathi namanzi, i-acidify emanzini angaphezulu nangaphansi komhlaba, kanye nokukhulula ubuthi obufana ne-arsenic, i-thallium ne-mercury. Futhi izimayini ezijulile zihlala zihlotshaniswa nezinkinga zamalungelo abantu.

ukugaywa kabusha kanye nokusungula izinto ezintsha

Ngakho-ke imithombo emisha yesibabule engaveli emafutheni ezinto ezimbiwa phansi kufanele kutholakale. Ukwengeza, isidingo sesibabule kumele sehliswe ngokugaywa kabusha nangezinqubo eziqalwa yizimboni ezisebenzisa i-sulfuric acid encane.

Ukubuyisela ama-phosphates emanzini angcolile nokuwalungisa abe umanyolo kunganciphisa isidingo sokusebenzisa i-sulfuric acid ukucubungula amatshe e-phosphate. Lokhu kungasiza, ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukulondoloza ukutholakala okulinganiselwe kwetshe le-phosphate futhi, ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukunciphisa ukuvundiswa ngokweqile kwemithombo yamanzi. Ukuqhakaza kwe-algal okubangelwa ukuvundiswa ngokweqile kuholela ekuntulekeni komoyampilo, izinhlanzi eziminyanisa nezitshalo. 

Ukugaywa kabusha kwamabhethri e-lithium amaningi nakho kungasiza ekuxazululeni inkinga. Ukwakha amabhethri namamotho asebenzisa izinsimbi ezimbalwa ezingavamile nakho kunganciphisa isidingo se-sulfuric acid.

Ukugcina amandla avuselelekayo ngaphandle kokusetshenziswa kwamabhethri, ngobuchwepheshe obunjengokusebenzisa umoya ocindezelwe noma amandla adonsela phansi noma amandla e-kinetic wama-flywheels nokunye okusha, kunganciphisa kokubili izidingo ze-sulfuric acid kanye ne-fossil fuel futhi kuqhubekisele ukuqeda ikhabhoni. Ngokuzayo, amabhaktheriya angasetshenziswa futhi ukukhipha isulfure kuma-sulfate.

Ngakho-ke izinqubomgomo zikazwelonke nezamazwe ngamazwe kufanele futhi zicabangele ukushoda kwesibabule esikhathini esizayo lapho kuhlelwa i-decarbonisation, ngokugqugquzela ukugaywa kabusha kanye nokuthola eminye imithombo enezindleko eziphansi kakhulu zezenhlalo nezemvelo.

Isithombe sekhava: Prasanta Kr Dutta on Unsplash

Okuphawuliwe: Fabian Schipfer

[1]    I-Maslin, M., Van Heerde, L. & Day, S. (2022) Isibabule: Inkinga yensiza engaba khona engakhinyabeza ubuchwepheshe obuluhlaza futhi isongele ukuvikeleka kokudla njengoba umhlaba udecarbonise. I-Geographical Journal, 00, 1-8. Ku-inthanethi: https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geoj.12475

Noma: https://theconversation.com/sulfuric-acid-the-next-resource-crisis-that-could-stifle-green-tech-and-threaten-food-security-186765