Impacts of Acid Rain

Acid deposition, more commonly known as acid rain, results from man-made emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides through the burning of fossil fuels for energy and transportation. Acid rain has negative effects on the environment in which we live. Since acid rain is a transboundary pollution problem, acidic emissions produced by one country can be deposited in another. Sweden and Norway, for example, both receive more than 90% of their sulphur pollution from abroad.

If large quantities of acid rain are deposited they may have detrimental consequences for wildlife, forests, soils, freshwater and buildings. Acid rain acidifies the soils and waters where it falls, killing off plants and animals. Surface water acidification can lead to a decline in, and loss of, fish populations and other aquatic species including frogs, snails and crayfish. Acid rain affects trees, usually by weakening them through damage to their leaves. Certain types of building stone can be dissolved in acid rain.