# data[].attributes.body
Robbins, Tucker, et al. “Home.” https://www.actionnews5.com/.

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“Acid Rain Pathway with Diagram.” Https://Www.conceptdraw.com, https://www.conceptdraw.com/examples/acid-rain-pathway-with-diagram.

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EPA. “What Is Acid Rain?” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain.

# data[].attributes.body
Boumis, Robert. “Negative Health Effects of Acid Rain on Humans.” Sciencing, 13 Aug. 2019, https://sciencing.com/negative-health-effects-acid-rain-humans-24007.html.

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What Is Acid Rain? - Quora. https://www.quora.com/What-is-acid-rain.

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“Acid Rain.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/science/acid-rain.

Bradford, Alina. “Acid Rain: Causes, Effects and Solutions.” LiveScience, Purch, 16 Mar. 2022, https://www.livescience.com/63065-acid-rain.html.

EPA. “Effects of Acid Rain.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain.

EPA. “What Causes Acid Rain?” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www3.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatcauses.html#:~:text=Acid%20rain%20is%20caused%20by,pollutants%2C%20known%20as%20acid%20rain.

EPA. “What Is Acid Rain?” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain.

EPA. “What Is Being Done?” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www3.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/beingdone.html#:~:text=Because%20nitrogen%20oxides%20are%20created,the%20way%20they%20burn%20coal.&text=A%20great%20way%20to%20reduce,as%20solar%20and%20wind%20power.

McCloy, John, and Jeanne Yacoubou MS. “5 Major Types of Renewable Energy [+2 under Development].” Green Coast, 28 Dec. 2021, https://greencoast.org/types-of-renewable-energy/.

Nunez, Christina. “Acid Rain.” Environment, National Geographic, 4 May 2021, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/acid-rain.

Rinkesh, Arnold, and About. “Acid Rain: Causes, Effects and Solutions to Increase in the Ph Level.” Conserve Energy Future, 16 July 2020, https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-acid-rain.php.

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Episodic acidity can occur as a result of melting snow and severe rain downpours. When the melting snow or precipitation brings increased levels of acidic deposits and the soil can't buffer it (buffering is when the soil can stop the effects of acid rain from affecting the plants/animals), lakes that aren't ordinarily acidic may experience the consequences of acid rain. This brief period of higher acidity (lower pH) can cause a short-term stress on the ecosystem, causing injury or death to a range of animals or species.

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Acid rain: Causes, effects and solutions

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Acid rain is any form of precipitation that contains acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid. It affects nearly everything it touches

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-This diagram gives a clear representation of how these gasses are formed, and the process by which acid rain is made. It’s a complex process that involves many factors, but this image breaks down the process in simple terms.

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-This photo describes the process by which acid rain is created, how it travels, and how it affects the environment.

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-This photo is very helpful to understand all the different ways that acid rain travels the effects of it are so widespread, and there are several ways that the acid is spread.

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Acid rain damages forests. It seeps into the soil, and the soil loses nutrients like calcium. Instead, aluminum is released, making it harder for trees to absorb water. This damages all the plants that grow in the soil, because they can't get the nutrients they need to survive. Ecosystems are all connected, and the plants being damaged affect all the animals who rely on vegetation for food. Eventually, without plants, the whole ecosystem crumbles.

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On this Page:

The Effects of Acid Rain on Ecosystems

An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and other organisms along with their environment including the air, water and soil. Everything in an ecosystem is connected. If something harms one part of an ecosystem - one species of plant or animal, the soil or the water - it can have an impact on everything else.

Effects of Acid Rain on Fish and Wildlife

The ecological effects of acid rain are most clearly seen in aquatic environments, such as streams, lakes, and marshes where it can be harmful to fish and other wildlife. As it flows through the soil, acidic rain water can leach aluminum from soil clay particles and then flow into streams and lakes. The more acid that is introduced to the ecosystem, the more aluminum is released.

Some types of plants and animals are able to tolerate acidic waters and moderate amounts of aluminum. Others, however, are acid-sensitive and will be lost as the pH declines. Generally, the young of most species are more sensitive to environmental conditions than adults. At pH 5, most fish eggs cannot hatch. At lower pH levels, some adult fish die. Some acidic lakes have no fish. Even if a species of fish or animal can tolerate moderately acidic water, the animals or plants it eats might not. For example, frogs have a critical pH around 4, but the mayflies they eat are more sensitive and may not survive pH below 5.5.

Effects of Acid Rain on Plants and Trees

Dead or dying trees are a common sight in areas effected by acid rain. Acid rain leaches aluminum from the soil. That aluminum may be harmful to plants as well as animals. Acid rain also removes minerals and nutrients from the soil that trees need to grow.

At high elevations, acidic fog and clouds might strip nutrients from trees' foliage, leaving them with brown or dead leaves and needles. The trees are then less able to absorb sunlight, which makes them weak and less able to withstand freezing temperatures.

Buffering Capacity

Many forests, streams, and lakes that experience acid rain don't suffer effects because the soil in those areas can buffer the acid rain by neutralizing the acidity in the rainwater flowing through it. This capacity depends on the thickness and composition of the soil and the type of bedrock underneath it. In areas such as mountainous parts of the Northeast United States, the soil is thin and lacks the ability to adequately neutralize the acid in the rain water. As a result, these areas are particularly vulnerable and the acid and aluminum can accumulate in the soil, streams, or lakes.

Episodic Acidification

Melting snow and heavy rain downpours can result in what is known as episodic acidification. Lakes that do not normally have a high level of acidity may temporarily experience effects of acid rain when the melting snow or downpour brings greater amounts of acidic deposition and the soil can't buffer it. This short duration of higher acidity (i.e., lower pH) can result in a short-term stress on the ecosystem where a variety of organisms or species may be injured or killed.

Nitrogen Pollution

It's not just the acidity of acid rain that can cause problems. Acid rain also contains nitrogen, and this can have an impact on some ecosystems. For example, nitrogen pollution in our coastal waters is partially responsible for declining fish and shellfish populations in some areas. In addition to agriculture and wastewater, much of the nitrogen produced by human activity that reaches coastal waters comes from the atmosphere.

Effects of Acid Rain on Materials

Not all acidic deposition is wet. Sometimes dust particles can become acidic as well, and this is called dry deposition. When acid rain and dry acidic particles fall to earth, the nitric and sulfuric acid that make the particles acidic can land on statues, buildings, and other manmade structures, and damage their surfaces. The acidic particles corrode metal and cause paint and stone to deteriorate more quickly. They also dirty the surfaces of buildings and other structures such as monuments.

The consequences of this damage can be costly:

damaged materials that need to be repaired or replaced,

increased maintenance costs, and

loss of detail on stone and metal statues, monuments and tombstones.

Other Effects of SO₂ and NOX

Visibility

In the atmosphere, SO ₂ and NO X gases can be transformed into sulfate and nitrate particles, while some NO X can also react with other pollutants to form ozone. These particles and ozone make the air hazy and difficult to see through. This affects our enjoyment of national parks that we visit for the scenic view such as Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Human Health

Walking in acid rain, or even swimming in a lake affected by acid rain, is no more dangerous to humans than walking in normal rain or swimming in non-acidic lakes. However, when the pollutants that cause acid rain -SO ₂ and NO X, as well as sulfate and nitrate particles- are in the air, they can be harmful to humans.

SO ₂ and NO X react in the atmosphere to form fine sulfate and nitrate particles that people can inhale into their lungs. Many scientific studies have shown a relationship between these particles and effects on heart function, such as heart attacks resulting in death for people with increased heart disease risk, and effects on lung function, such as breathing difficulties for people with asthma.

Learn more about:

In addition, NO emissions also contribute to ground level ozone, which is also harmful to X human health.

Learn more about:

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On this Page: An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and other organisms along with their environment including the air, water and soil. Everything in an ecosystem is connected. If something harms one part of an ecosystem - one species of plant or animal, the soil or the water - it can have an impact on everything else.

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Acid rain has the power to deteriorate wildlife and structures. Acids are corrosive because of their affinity for water. Acid rain takes away the protective film on trees, and it can even stop trees from growing. The deterioration of trees is detrimental for an ecosystem because tress are arguably the most important part of an ecosystem. Trees clean our air, conserve water, and preserve soil. The deterioration of trees is a huge problem, and a big reason why acid rain needs a solution. Acid rain can even cause deterioration of limestone and marble monuments. It's power is scary, and the reason for its corrosion is it's low pH level. Because of the acids in the rain, it has corrosive abilities that need to be stopped.

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Acid rain: Causes, effects and solutions

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Acid rain is any form of precipitation that contains acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid. It affects nearly everything it touches

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First, recycling can be a great way to reduce acid rain. We can recycle with biomass (using organic plant and animal matter) and using Geothermal (using hot springs). Second, we can start producing energy without using fossil fuels and using renewable energy such as solar and wind power. Third, energy use is a big contributor to pollution and acid rain, a good way to combat this is to conserve energy. Small things like not using your air conditioner so much and turning off lights can help conserve energy. Fourth, cars are arguably the biggest problem when it comes to fossil fuel emissions, since fossil fuels are the root causes of acid rain, switching to an alternative, cleaner fuel will improve acid rain and our planet as a whole. Finally, we can use the Liming method (the method has been used to neutralize the pH levels of the water and has been used to restore wildlife).

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Now that you know why acid rain is a problem, you might be wondering what's being done to control it. Regulations and new technologies are helping reduce acid rain.

EPA's Acid Rain Program
Power plants generate the electricity we use every day. Unfortunately, power plants also produce large amounts of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide-the pollutants that cause acid rain-when they burn fossil fuels, especially coal, to produce energy. Congress passed a law called the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, and this law said that EPA should start the Acid Rain Program. The program limits, or puts a cap on, the amount of sulfur dioxide that power plants can release into the air and issues allowances to the power plants to cover their sulfur dioxide emissions. It also reduces the amount of nitrogen oxides that power plants can release.

Reducing Pollution
Scientists have found different ways to reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide released from coal-burning power plants. One option is to use coal that contains less sulfur. Another option is to "wash" the coal to remove some of the sulfur. The power plant can also install equipment called scrubbers, which remove the sulfur dioxide from gases leaving the smokestack. Because nitrogen oxides are created in the process of burning coal and other fossil fuels, some power plants are changing the way they burn coal.

Other Sources of Energy
A great way to reduce acid rain is to produce energy without using fossil fuels. Instead, people can use renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Renewable energy sources help reduce acid rain because they produce much less pollution. These energy sources can be used to power machinery and produce electricity.

Cleaner Cars
Cars and trucks are major sources of the pollutants that cause acid rain. While one car alone does not produce much pollution, all the cars on the road added together create lots of pollution. Therefore, car manufacturers are required to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides and other pollutants released by new cars. One type of technology used in cars is called a catalytic converter. This piece of equipment has been used for over 20 years to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides released by cars. Some new cars can also use cleaner fuels, such as natural gas.

Cars that produce less pollution and are better for the environment are often labeled as low emissions vehicles. You can find out which vehicles are low emissions vehicles by looking at EPA's Green Vehicle Guide.

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Acid Rain Students Site: What is Being Done?

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Now that you know why acid rain is a problem, you might be wondering what's being done to control it. Regulations and new technologies are helping reduce acid rain. EPA's Acid Rain Program Power plants generate the electricity we use every day.

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Acid rain contains nitrogen oxide, which contributes to the forming of the ground level ozone, a huge pollutant that is harmful to plants, animals, and humans. The ground level ozone is extremely dangerous because of the effects it has on peoples health. This ozone causes damaged airways, bronchitis, and asthma. These are life long conditions that people didn't sign up for, and acid rain is a part of the problem. The harmful ozone can also have negative effects on vegetation, it's been shown to increase disease in crops and decrease growth.

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The fossil fuels that humans burn for energy can come back to haunt us as acid rain.

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What is Acid rain and what else can be acidic? 

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What is Acid rain and what else can be acidic? 

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Acid rain is also called acid precipitation or acid deposition possesses  a pH of about 5.2 or below primarily produced front the emission of sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen Oxides. Normal acid is slightly acidic, with a PH of 5.6 while acid rain has a PH between 4.2 and 4.4. However, anything that has acidic components such as sulfuric or nitric acid will fall from the atmosphere to the ground in wet or dry forms (snow, fog, rain, hail, or dust all can acidic).

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Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms. This can include rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic.

Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide (SO ₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO X) are emitted into the atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The SO ₂ and NO X react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These then mix with water and other materials before falling to the ground.

While a small portion of the SO ₂ and NO X that cause acid rain is from natural sources such as volcanoes, most of it comes from the burning of fossil fuels. The major sources of SO ₂ and NO X in the atmosphere are:

Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity. Two thirds of SO₂ and one fourth of NOX in the atmosphere come from electric power generators.

Vehicles and heavy equipment.

Manufacturing, oil refineries and other industries.

Winds can blow SO ₂ and NO X over long distances and across borders making acid rain a problem for everyone and not just those who live close to these sources.

Forms of Acid Deposition

Wet Deposition

Wet deposition is what we most commonly think of as acid rain. The sulfuric and nitric acids formed in the atmosphere fall to the ground mixed with rain, snow, fog, or hail.

Dry Deposition

Acidic particles and gases can also deposit from the atmosphere in the absence of moisture as dry deposition. The acidic particles and gases may deposit to surfaces (water bodies, vegetation, buildings) quickly or may react during atmospheric transport to form larger particles that can be harmful to human health. When the accumulated acids are washed off a surface by the next rain, this acidic water flows over and through the ground, and can harm plants and wildlife, such as insects and fish.

The amount of acidity in the atmosphere that deposits to earth through dry deposition depends on the amount of rainfall an area receives. For example, in desert areas the ratio of dry to wet deposition is higher than an area that receives several inches of rain each year.

Measuring Acid Rain

Acidity and alkalinity are measured using a pH scale for which 7.0 is neutral. The lower a substance's pH (less than 7), the more acidic it is; the higher a substance's pH (greater than 7), the more alkaline it is. Normal rain has a pH of about 5.6; it is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide (CO ₂) dissolves into it forming weak carbonic acid. Acid rain usually has a pH between 4.2 and 4.4.

Policymakers, research scientists, ecologists, and modelers rely on the National Atmospheric Deposition Program's (NADP) National Trends Network (NTN) for measurements of wet deposition. The NADP/NTN collects acid rain at more than 250 monitoring sites throughout the US, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands. Unlike wet deposition, dry deposition is difficult and expensive to measure. Dry deposition estimates for nitrogen and sulfur pollutants are provided by the Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET). Air concentrations are measured by CASTNET at more than 90 locations.

When acid deposition is washed into lakes and streams, it can cause some to turn acidic. The Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) Network measures and monitors surface water chemistry at over 280 sites to provide valuable information on aquatic ecosystem health and how water bodies respond to changes in acid-causing emissions and acid deposition.

Next, learn about the Effects of Acid Rain.

Or, learn more about:

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Introduction to acid rain including its causes and the different types of acid rain.

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-This picture shows the effects of acid rain on the environment, in particular forests. The trees are stripped of their leaves and are left with empty branches. Trees are also living beings which means that we can infer acid rain can destroy live organisms.

- But the acidic rain does not have a low enough pH level to cause damage to human skin. It only causes respiratory diseases and lung damage when the air particles are breathed in. Still very harmful to humans, even if it doesn't cause physical harm.

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-This is a comparison picture of a statue (infrastructure) before and after acid rainfall. As you can see, the statue looks like it has been melted and destroyed. It appears to be in a drastic state compared to the original state. This also demonstrates how powerful and dangerous acid rain can be on infrastructures. The pH level is low enough to where it can create dramatic changes in infrastructure. It is a cause for concern. Especially for monuments, historical buildings and normal spaces where people work and live.

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Acid rain is especially harmful in aquatic environments. This is because acid rain causes the pH of a body of water to decline and become more acidic. Some animals can tolerate the acidic environment, but most are at put risk when the pH declines. More acidic waters means more aluminum in the water. This creates a deadly environment for fish and aquatic life.
pH 5=fish eggs cannot hatch
Lower pH= adult fish die
A healthy lake must be of a pH of 6.5 or higher, and when a pH becomes 4, the lake/body of water is “dead.” Acid rain is killing our lakes, rivers, and ponds. Something needs to be done before our entire planet is destroyed.

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On this Page:

The Effects of Acid Rain on Ecosystems

An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and other organisms along with their environment including the air, water and soil. Everything in an ecosystem is connected. If something harms one part of an ecosystem - one species of plant or animal, the soil or the water - it can have an impact on everything else.

Effects of Acid Rain on Fish and Wildlife

The ecological effects of acid rain are most clearly seen in aquatic environments, such as streams, lakes, and marshes where it can be harmful to fish and other wildlife. As it flows through the soil, acidic rain water can leach aluminum from soil clay particles and then flow into streams and lakes. The more acid that is introduced to the ecosystem, the more aluminum is released.

Some types of plants and animals are able to tolerate acidic waters and moderate amounts of aluminum. Others, however, are acid-sensitive and will be lost as the pH declines. Generally, the young of most species are more sensitive to environmental conditions than adults. At pH 5, most fish eggs cannot hatch. At lower pH levels, some adult fish die. Some acidic lakes have no fish. Even if a species of fish or animal can tolerate moderately acidic water, the animals or plants it eats might not. For example, frogs have a critical pH around 4, but the mayflies they eat are more sensitive and may not survive pH below 5.5.

Effects of Acid Rain on Plants and Trees

Dead or dying trees are a common sight in areas effected by acid rain. Acid rain leaches aluminum from the soil. That aluminum may be harmful to plants as well as animals. Acid rain also removes minerals and nutrients from the soil that trees need to grow.

At high elevations, acidic fog and clouds might strip nutrients from trees' foliage, leaving them with brown or dead leaves and needles. The trees are then less able to absorb sunlight, which makes them weak and less able to withstand freezing temperatures.

Buffering Capacity

Many forests, streams, and lakes that experience acid rain don't suffer effects because the soil in those areas can buffer the acid rain by neutralizing the acidity in the rainwater flowing through it. This capacity depends on the thickness and composition of the soil and the type of bedrock underneath it. In areas such as mountainous parts of the Northeast United States, the soil is thin and lacks the ability to adequately neutralize the acid in the rain water. As a result, these areas are particularly vulnerable and the acid and aluminum can accumulate in the soil, streams, or lakes.

Episodic Acidification

Melting snow and heavy rain downpours can result in what is known as episodic acidification. Lakes that do not normally have a high level of acidity may temporarily experience effects of acid rain when the melting snow or downpour brings greater amounts of acidic deposition and the soil can't buffer it. This short duration of higher acidity (i.e., lower pH) can result in a short-term stress on the ecosystem where a variety of organisms or species may be injured or killed.

Nitrogen Pollution

It's not just the acidity of acid rain that can cause problems. Acid rain also contains nitrogen, and this can have an impact on some ecosystems. For example, nitrogen pollution in our coastal waters is partially responsible for declining fish and shellfish populations in some areas. In addition to agriculture and wastewater, much of the nitrogen produced by human activity that reaches coastal waters comes from the atmosphere.

Effects of Acid Rain on Materials

Not all acidic deposition is wet. Sometimes dust particles can become acidic as well, and this is called dry deposition. When acid rain and dry acidic particles fall to earth, the nitric and sulfuric acid that make the particles acidic can land on statues, buildings, and other manmade structures, and damage their surfaces. The acidic particles corrode metal and cause paint and stone to deteriorate more quickly. They also dirty the surfaces of buildings and other structures such as monuments.

The consequences of this damage can be costly:

damaged materials that need to be repaired or replaced,

increased maintenance costs, and

loss of detail on stone and metal statues, monuments and tombstones.

Other Effects of SO₂ and NOX

Visibility

In the atmosphere, SO ₂ and NO X gases can be transformed into sulfate and nitrate particles, while some NO X can also react with other pollutants to form ozone. These particles and ozone make the air hazy and difficult to see through. This affects our enjoyment of national parks that we visit for the scenic view such as Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Human Health

Walking in acid rain, or even swimming in a lake affected by acid rain, is no more dangerous to humans than walking in normal rain or swimming in non-acidic lakes. However, when the pollutants that cause acid rain -SO ₂ and NO X, as well as sulfate and nitrate particles- are in the air, they can be harmful to humans.

SO ₂ and NO X react in the atmosphere to form fine sulfate and nitrate particles that people can inhale into their lungs. Many scientific studies have shown a relationship between these particles and effects on heart function, such as heart attacks resulting in death for people with increased heart disease risk, and effects on lung function, such as breathing difficulties for people with asthma.

Learn more about:

In addition, NO emissions also contribute to ground level ozone, which is also harmful to X human health.

Learn more about:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On this Page: An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and other organisms along with their environment including the air, water and soil. Everything in an ecosystem is connected. If something harms one part of an ecosystem - one species of plant or animal, the soil or the water - it can have an impact on everything else.

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Acid rain can be caused by natural and chemical emissions.

-Natural causes can trigger acid rain such as volcanoes because of the gas they emit-manmade sources like cars, factories or power generator facilities
-All causes emit sulfur and nitrogen gases which are components of acid rain.
-Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) are gases that can be moved by the wind up into the atmosphere.-In order for acid rain to form, after SO2 and NOx mix with water, oxygen, and chemicals: it mixes with water again which turns into condensation and creates acid rain.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On this Page:

The Effects of Acid Rain on Ecosystems

An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and other organisms along with their environment including the air, water and soil. Everything in an ecosystem is connected. If something harms one part of an ecosystem - one species of plant or animal, the soil or the water - it can have an impact on everything else.

Effects of Acid Rain on Fish and Wildlife

The ecological effects of acid rain are most clearly seen in aquatic environments, such as streams, lakes, and marshes where it can be harmful to fish and other wildlife. As it flows through the soil, acidic rain water can leach aluminum from soil clay particles and then flow into streams and lakes. The more acid that is introduced to the ecosystem, the more aluminum is released.

Some types of plants and animals are able to tolerate acidic waters and moderate amounts of aluminum. Others, however, are acid-sensitive and will be lost as the pH declines. Generally, the young of most species are more sensitive to environmental conditions than adults. At pH 5, most fish eggs cannot hatch. At lower pH levels, some adult fish die. Some acidic lakes have no fish. Even if a species of fish or animal can tolerate moderately acidic water, the animals or plants it eats might not. For example, frogs have a critical pH around 4, but the mayflies they eat are more sensitive and may not survive pH below 5.5.

Effects of Acid Rain on Plants and Trees

Dead or dying trees are a common sight in areas effected by acid rain. Acid rain leaches aluminum from the soil. That aluminum may be harmful to plants as well as animals. Acid rain also removes minerals and nutrients from the soil that trees need to grow.

At high elevations, acidic fog and clouds might strip nutrients from trees' foliage, leaving them with brown or dead leaves and needles. The trees are then less able to absorb sunlight, which makes them weak and less able to withstand freezing temperatures.

Buffering Capacity

Many forests, streams, and lakes that experience acid rain don't suffer effects because the soil in those areas can buffer the acid rain by neutralizing the acidity in the rainwater flowing through it. This capacity depends on the thickness and composition of the soil and the type of bedrock underneath it. In areas such as mountainous parts of the Northeast United States, the soil is thin and lacks the ability to adequately neutralize the acid in the rain water. As a result, these areas are particularly vulnerable and the acid and aluminum can accumulate in the soil, streams, or lakes.

Episodic Acidification

Melting snow and heavy rain downpours can result in what is known as episodic acidification. Lakes that do not normally have a high level of acidity may temporarily experience effects of acid rain when the melting snow or downpour brings greater amounts of acidic deposition and the soil can't buffer it. This short duration of higher acidity (i.e., lower pH) can result in a short-term stress on the ecosystem where a variety of organisms or species may be injured or killed.

Nitrogen Pollution

It's not just the acidity of acid rain that can cause problems. Acid rain also contains nitrogen, and this can have an impact on some ecosystems. For example, nitrogen pollution in our coastal waters is partially responsible for declining fish and shellfish populations in some areas. In addition to agriculture and wastewater, much of the nitrogen produced by human activity that reaches coastal waters comes from the atmosphere.

Effects of Acid Rain on Materials

Not all acidic deposition is wet. Sometimes dust particles can become acidic as well, and this is called dry deposition. When acid rain and dry acidic particles fall to earth, the nitric and sulfuric acid that make the particles acidic can land on statues, buildings, and other manmade structures, and damage their surfaces. The acidic particles corrode metal and cause paint and stone to deteriorate more quickly. They also dirty the surfaces of buildings and other structures such as monuments.

The consequences of this damage can be costly:

damaged materials that need to be repaired or replaced,

increased maintenance costs, and

loss of detail on stone and metal statues, monuments and tombstones.

Other Effects of SO₂ and NOX

Visibility

In the atmosphere, SO ₂ and NO X gases can be transformed into sulfate and nitrate particles, while some NO X can also react with other pollutants to form ozone. These particles and ozone make the air hazy and difficult to see through. This affects our enjoyment of national parks that we visit for the scenic view such as Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Human Health

Walking in acid rain, or even swimming in a lake affected by acid rain, is no more dangerous to humans than walking in normal rain or swimming in non-acidic lakes. However, when the pollutants that cause acid rain -SO ₂ and NO X, as well as sulfate and nitrate particles- are in the air, they can be harmful to humans.

SO ₂ and NO X react in the atmosphere to form fine sulfate and nitrate particles that people can inhale into their lungs. Many scientific studies have shown a relationship between these particles and effects on heart function, such as heart attacks resulting in death for people with increased heart disease risk, and effects on lung function, such as breathing difficulties for people with asthma.

Learn more about:

In addition, NO emissions also contribute to ground level ozone, which is also harmful to X human health.

Learn more about:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On this Page: An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and other organisms along with their environment including the air, water and soil. Everything in an ecosystem is connected. If something harms one part of an ecosystem - one species of plant or animal, the soil or the water - it can have an impact on everything else.