Acidic gases (sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide) released into atmosphere
4
Acid rain kills plant life, pollutes rivers and streams and erodes stonework
Damage to Farmlands and Forests
The acidic nature of acid rain leaches plant nutrients available to them from the soil and so affects agricultural productivity. Acid rain also affects the quality of agricultural products. It can damage the leaves of vegetables such as spinach and destroy tomatoes, as seen here.
Acid rain weakens trees, damages leaves, limits the levels of nutrients available to them or poisons them slowly with toxic substances released by the soil. Here we see spruce trees in a Polish forest destroyed by acid rain.
Acid rain damages buildings and structures because it dissolves the exposed stone or rusts the metal.
1. Draw and label a diagram showing how acid rain forms. 2. Explain the negative effects of acid rain. 3. Why is acid rain no longer as great a threat as it once was?
