Surface Water and Aquatic Animals
- Acid rain causes lakes and streams to become more acidic (lower pH), because the body of water and soil cannot neutralize the acidic compounds ("buffer capacity")
- Acid rain releases aluminum from soils into lakes and streams. Aluminum is highly toxic for marine organisms
- Low pH and aluminum may not kill fish species, but cause them to be smaller in size and less body weight
- Nitrogen from Nitric Oxide could result in Eutrophication (oxygen depletion) and algal blooms of lakes and streams
Buildings, Materials, and Automobiles
- Acid rain, along with other "Environmental fallout" decaying insects, bird droppings, tree sap, etc. have caused numerous damages to car coatings
- Acid rain and dry acidic particles contribute to corrosion of metals, and deterioration of paint and stone found on buildings, sculptures, bridges, etc.
Forests
- Acid Rain combine with other stresses (air pollutants, insects, disease, drought, etc.) causes slower growth, injuries, or death to forests
- Acid Rain weakens trees by damaging their leaves, limiting the nutrients available to them, and expose trees to toxic chemicals from the soil
- Acid Rain dissolves nutrients and helpful minerals in the soil and washes them away
- Even forests with high buffer capacity in the soil are damaged by acid rain, because essential nutrients in leaves and needles are stripped away when exposed to acid rain/fog for too long
Human Health
- Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide reacts with other compounds in the atmosphere to form sulfate and nitrates
- Sulfate and nitrates can be inhaled deep into the lungs causing illness
- Many scientific studies have shown a relationship between increase levels of fine particles, like sulfate and nitrate, with increase illness and even premature death from hearts and lung diseases
