The Problem of Acid Rain WHAT CAUSES ACID RAIN When power plants, factories, homes and cars release pollution into the air, there are chemicals called sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen. SULFUR DIOXIDE: Artificial sulfur dioxide comes primarily from the burning of fossil fuels in power plants. It then mixes with water in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric acid, which will later fall as acid rain. NITROGEN OXIDES: Nitrogen oxides are also man-made and come mainly from car exhaust. These gases also enter the atmosphere and mix with water to form sulfuric acid. acid, which once again falls in the form of acid rain.WHAT EFFECTS DOES ACID RAIN HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT?SOIL, TREES AND PLANTS.Trees and plants need healthy soil in which to grow. Acid rain can damage these important soils by destroying many vital substances and carrying away nutrients. Soils naturally contain small amounts of poisonous minerals such as mercury and aluminum. Normally these minerals do not cause serious problems, but when acid rain falls on soil and soil and the acidity of the soil increases, chemical reactions occur that allow the poisonous minerals to be absorbed by plant roots. The trees and plants are then damaged, and any animals that eat them will absorb the poisons, which will remain in their bodies. Soil damage is one of the most serious effects of acid rain. TREES Acid rain and other pollutants can have harmful effects on forests, and many areas of the world have reported that their forests are dying. The acid strips important minerals from the leaves and soil. Without these minerals, trees and plants cannot grow... middle of paper... every 2-5 years and it is expensive. Liming will not solve the problem of acid rain, to do so we must reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides produced. Power plants can be equipped with special equipment that reduces the amount of pollutants emitted when fuel is burned. If we used electricity more carefully, we wouldn't have to produce so much of it, so there would be less pollution. Car pollution can be reduced by equipping the exhaust with a special filter called a catalytic converter. Reducing the number of car journeys and traveling by bus, train or bicycle can also help stop air pollution. Acid rain is caused by the burning of coal, oil, gasoline and gas. It would be better to switch to types of energy that do not cause acid rain, such as sun, wind and wave energy.