Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning

that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have harmful
effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions
of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with the water molecules in the
atmosphere to produce acids. governments have made efforts since the 1970s to
reduce the release of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere with positive results. Nitrogen
oxides can also be produced naturally by lightning strikes and sulfur dioxide is
produced by volcanic eruptions. The chemicals in acid rain can cause paint to peel,
corrosion of steel structures such as bridges, and erosion of stone statues. Acid rain" is
a popular term referring to the deposition of wet (rain, snow, sleet, fog, cloudwater,
and dew) and dry (acidifying particles and gases) acidic components.

It has a long history . you know when acid rain was first seen in way back 17 th
century by by John Evelyn, who remarked upon the poor condition of the Arundel marbles.
[2]

Since the Industrial Revolution, emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the
atmosphere have increased.[3][4] In 1852, Robert Angus Smith was the first to show the
relationship between acid rain and atmospheric pollution in Manchester, England.[5]
Though acidic rain was discovered in 1853, it was not until the late 1960s that scientists
began widely observing and studying the phenomenon.[6]u know The term "acid rain" was
coined in 1872 by Robert Angus Smith.[7] [9]
.[3] Industrial acid rain is a substantial problem in China and Russia[10][11] and areas downwind
from them. These areas all burn sulfur-containing coal to generate heat and electricity.[12]
Since 1998, Harvard University wraps some of the bronze and marble statues on its campus,
such as this "Chinese stele", with waterproof covers every winter, in order to protect them
from erosion caused by acid rain (or, actually, acid snow)[15]
Also this acid rain has effected one of the indias greatest monument .can you
guess which one it is ?It is taj mahal as u see the white marbel used in building it
has turned yellow due to acid rain. Acidic deposits have been detected in glacial ice

thousands of years old in remote parts of the globe.[13]

The problem of acid rain has not only increased with population and industrial growth, but
has become more widespread. The use of tall smokestacks to reduce local pollution has
contributed to the spread of acid rain by releasing gases into regional atmospheric circulation.
[13][14]
Often deposition occurs a considerable distance downwind of the emissions, with
mountainous regions tending to receive the greatest deposition (simply because of their
higher rainfall).

in 1980, the U.S. Congress passed an Acid Deposition Act. [16] This Act established an 18year assessment and research program under the direction of the National Acidic Precipitation
Assessment Program (NAPAP). NAPAP looked at the entire problem from a scientific
perspective. To determine long term trends, and established a network for dry deposition. It
looked at the effects of acid rain and funded research on the effects of acid precipitation on
freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, historical buildings, monuments, and building
materials. It also funded extensive studies on atmospheric processes and potential control
programs.
, in 1989, the U.S. Congress passed a series of amendments to the Clean Air Act. Title IV of
these amendments established the Acid Rain Program, a cap and trade system designed to
control emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
During the 1990s, research continued. On March 10, 2005, EPA issued the Clean Air
Interstate Rule (CAIR). This rule provides states with a solution to the problem of power
plant pollution that drifts from one state to another. CAIR will permanently cap emissions of
SO2 and NOx in the eastern United States.
RESULTS OF MEASURES

Overall, the program's cap and trade program has been successful in achieving its goals.
Since the 1990s, SO2 emissions have dropped 40%, and according to the Pacific Research
Institute, acid rain levels have dropped 65% since 1976.[19][20] Conventional regulation was
utilized in the European Union, which saw a decrease of over 70% in SO2 emissions during
the same time period.[21] In 2007, total SO2 emissions were 8.9 million tons, achieving the
program's long term goal ahead of the 2010 statutory deadline.[22]

International treaties

A number of international treaties on the long range transport of atmospheric pollutants have
been agreed for example, Sulphur Emissions Reduction Protocol under the Convention on
Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. Canada and the US signed the Air Quality
Agreement in 1991. Most European countries and Canada have signed the treaties.
The first emissions trading market was established in the United States by enactment of the
Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The overall goal of the Acid Rain Program established
by the Act[39] is to achieve significant environmental and public health benefits through
reductions in emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), the primary causes
of acid rain. To achieve this goal at the lowest cost to society, the program employs both
regulatory and market based approaches for controlling air pollution.

Emissions of chemicals leading to acidification

The most important gas which leads to acidification is sulfur dioxide. Emissions of nitrogen
oxides which are oxidized to form nitric acid are of increasing importance due to stricter
controls on emissions of sulfur containing compounds. 70 Tg(S) per year in the form of SO2
comes from fossil fuel combustion and industry, 2.8 Tg(S) from wildfires and 78 Tg(S) per
year from volcanoes.[23]

Natural phenomena
The principal natural phenomena that contribute acid-producing gases to the atmosphere are
emissions from volcanoes..[24] Acid-producing gasses are also created by biological processes
that occur on the land, in wetlands, and in the oceans.
Nitric acid in rainwater is an important source of fixed nitrogen for plant life, and is also
produced by electrical activity in the atmosphere such as lightning.

Human activity
The principal cause of acid rain is sulfur and nitrogen compounds from human sources, such
as electricity generation, factories, and motor vehicles. Electrical power complexes utilising
coal are among the greatest contributors to gaseous pollutions that are responsible for acidic
rain.. In the past, factories had short funnels to let out smoke but this caused many problems
locally; thus, factories now have taller smoke funnels.

Chemical processes

Combustion of fuels produces sulfur dioxide and nitric oxides. They are converted into
sulfuric acid and nitric acid.[25]

Gas phase chemistry

In the gas phase sulfur dioxide is oxidized by reaction with the hydroxyl radical via an
intermolecular reaction:[5]
SO2 + OH HOSO2
which is followed by:
HOSO2 + O2 HO2 + SO3
In the presence of water, sulfur trioxide (SO3) is converted rapidly to sulfuric acid:
SO3 (g) + H2O (l) H2SO4 (aq)
Nitrogen dioxide reacts with OH to form nitric acid:
NO2 + OH HNO3

Chemistry in cloud droplets

When clouds are present, the loss rate of SO2 is faster than can be explained by gas phase
chemistry alone. This is due to reactions in the liquid water droplets.
Hydrolysis
Sulfur dioxide dissolves in water and then, like carbon dioxide, hydrolyses in a series of
equilibrium reactions:
SO2 (g) + H2O SO2H2O
SO2H2O H+ + HSO3
HSO3 H+ + SO32
Oxidation
There are a large number of aqueous reactions that oxidize sulfur from S(IV) to S(VI),
leading to the formation of sulfuric acid. The most important oxidation reactions are with
ozone, hydrogen peroxide and oxygen (reactions with oxygen are catalyzed by iron and
manganese in the cloud droplets).[5]

Acid rain has been shown to have adverse impacts on forests, freshwaters and soils, killing
insect and aquatic life-forms as well as causing damage to buildings and having impacts on
human health.

Surface waters and aquatic animals

Both the lower pH and higher aluminium concentrations in surface water that occur as a
result of acid rain can cause damage to fish and other aquatic animals. At pHs lower than 5
most fish eggs will not hatch and lower pHs can kill adult fish. As lakes and rivers become
more acidic biodiversity is reduced. Acid rain has eliminated insect life and some fish
species, including the brook trout in some lakes, streams, and creeks in geographically
sensitive areas, such as the Adirondack Mountains of the United States.

Soils
Soil biology and chemistry can be seriously damaged by acid rain. Some microbes are unable
to tolerate changes to low pH and are killed.[28] The enzymes of these microbes are denatured
(changed in shape so they no longer function) by the acid. The hydronium ions of acid rain
also mobilize toxins such as aluminium, and leach away essential nutrients and minerals such
as magnesium.[29]

Forests and other vegetation

Adverse effects may be indirectly related to acid rain, like the acid's effects on soil (see
above) or high concentration of gaseous precursors to acid rain. High altitude forests are
especially vulnerable as they are often surrounded by clouds and fog which are more acidic
than rain.
Other plants can also be damaged by acid rain, but the effect on food crops is minimized by
the application of lime and fertilizers to replace lost nutrients.

Human health effects

Acid rain does not directly affect human health. The acid in the rainwater is too dilute to have
direct adverse effects. However, the particulates responsible for acid rain (sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxides) do have an adverse effect. Increased amounts of fine particulate matter in the
air do contribute to heart and lung problems including asthma and bronchitis.[34]

Other adverse effects

Acid rain can damage buildings, historic monuments, and statues, especially those made of
rocks, such as limestone and marble, that contain large amounts of calcium carbonate. Acids
in the rain react with the calcium compounds in the stones to create gypsum, which then
flakes off.
CaCO3 (s) + H2SO4 (aq)

CaSO4 (s) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)

The effects of this are commonly seen on old gravestones, where acid rain can cause the
inscriptions to become completely illegible. Acid rain also increases the corrosion rate of
metals, in particular iron, steel, copper and bronze.[35][36]
Taiwan.[citation needed]