Acid Rain: A Growing Environmental Concern

Fast Summary

• Acid rain is precipitation containing high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids, with a pH generally between 4.2 and 4.4 (normal rain has a pH of 5.6).
• It can take the form of rain, snow, fog, or dry material that settles on Earth.
• While natural processes like rotting vegetation and volcanic eruptions contribute to acid rain, the primary cause is human activity-mainly emissions from coal-burning power plants, factories, and vehicles.
• Key pollutants involved in acid rain formation are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), which also contribute to ground-level ozone pollution harmful to humans.
• Acid rain adversely impacts ecosystems: it increases acidity in lakes/streams/wetlands, causes aluminum absorption into water bodies (toxic to aquatic species), and disrupts ecosystems connected by food chains.
• Forests suffer as acid deposition depletes soil nutrients like calcium, releases harmful aluminum into soil water systems, harms tree leaves/needles chemically and physically prevents healthy water uptake for plant roots.
• Non-aquatic species such Songbirds reports also seeing danger

–READ Full report