ACID RAIN: IMPACT ON SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT

Rain is a natural phenomenon which is a result of water cycle happening in nature. The increasing pollution due to various human activities trying to make life of man luxurious, has disturbed many natural phenomena. Water cycle is one of them. The increased air pollution has disturbed the quality of rain water. Presence of acidic gases like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, excess of carbon dioxide in air makes the rain water acidic by dissolving in water and forming acids such as sulphuric acid, nitric acid, carbonic acid. These dissolved acids not only decrease the pH of rain water but also have disadvantaging effect on living forms, nonliving forms, aquatic systems, vegetation. This review discusses the formation of acid rain, causes of acid rain and its effects on mankind, aquatic systems, vegetation, buildings etc.