WHAT IS ACID RAIN?
Acid rain- or acid deposition- is a term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic components, like sulphuric or nitric acid, that falls from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms, including rain, snow, fog, hail and dust.
CAUSES OF ACID RAIN
Both natural and man-made sources are known to play a role in the formation of acid rain. But, it is mainly caused by the combustion of fossil fuels which results in emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
1)NATURAL SOURCES
The major natural causal agent for acid rain is volcanic emissions. Volcanoes emit acid-producing gases to create higher than normal amounts of acid rain or any other form of precipitation such as fog and snow to an extent of affecting vegetation cover and health of residents within the surrounding.
2)MAN – MADE SOURCES
Human activities leading to chemical gas emissions such as sulfur and nitrogen are the primary contributors to acid rain. The activities include air pollution sources emitting sulfur and nitrogen gases like factories, power generation facilities, and automobiles.
In particular, the use of coal for electrical power generation is the biggest contributor to gaseous emissions leading to acid rain. Automobiles and factories also release high scores of gaseous emissions on a daily basis into the air, especially in highly industrialized areas and urban regions with large numbers of car traffic.
These gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds such as sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. As a result, these areas experience exceedingly high amounts of acid rain.
EFFECTS OF ACID RAINS
1)EFFECTS ON FORESTS
It makes trees vulnerable to disease, extreme weather, and insects by destroying their leaves, damaging the bark and arresting their growth. Forest damage due to acid rain is most evident in Eastern Europe – especially Germany, Poland and Switzerland.
2)EFFECTS ON PLANTS
Acid rain can harm terrestrial plants by damaging outer leaf surfaces and by changing the root environment. Acid rain can strip away the waxy protective coating from plant leaves. Important nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium can then more readily leach out of leaf tissue by acid rain.
Acid rain can kill tree saplings as well as cause crown droop, or the death of limbs at the tops of mature trees. Acid rain can keep seeds from germinating. Plants growing in high altitudes (especially cloud forests) are the first to show the effects of acid rain, because they are often literally bathed in acid mist.
Plants also suffer from the loss of available nutrients when soil is degraded by acid rain. Aluminum dissolves rapidly once the soil water’s pH is below 4.5. High aluminum levels in soil solution will completely stop the growth of many plants.
3)EFFECTS OF ACID RAINS ON PEOPLE
Although acid rain will not eat through our clothing or dissolve our skin, it affects us at a very basic level. It can affect the quality of the water we use for drinking and cleaning. When acid rain degrades the soil, it affects our ability to grow the food, fuel, and fiber products we need to support human life. Acid water can dissolve trace metals like mercury, aluminum, cadmium, copper, zinc, and lead from soil, water pipes, and other sources. Some of these elements can cause acute toxicity or chronic health problems if they get in our food or water supplies. Acid rain can corrode and erode buildings, marble statues, and other artwork, thus ruining centuries of human construction and expression.
ACID RAIN PROGRAM(ARP)
The Acid Rain Program (ARP) has delivered significant reductions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants, extensive environmental and human health benefits, and far lower-than-expected costs.
ACID RAINS 
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