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Acid rain

Acid rain is caused by pollutant gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen, that are emitted as industrial waste and by vehicles, into the atmosphere. These gases combine with moisture in the atmosphere and become sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Rainwater mixes with these acids , and turns acidic. Rainwater that contains these acids will have  a lower pH reading and is called acid rain.

Acid rain  precipitates at locations far from the source of the pollution. This is because pollutantgasses are carried by the wind for days or weeks and over long distances before they combine with water vapor and return to the ground as rainfall. Normally, rain water has a pH value of around 6.0 but acid rain has pH levels of between 4.0 to 5.5.

Acid rain can cause serious damage to plants and the environment. Plant roots are damaged and plants may experience stunted growth or may even die as a result of acid rain. Most algae are also killed by acid rain. However, some types of algae are acidophilic and are able to survive in acidic waters.