The Oxford Dictionary of Economics

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acid rain

acid rain
Rainfall of abnormally high acidity. This results from atmospheric pollution by emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x), mainly as the result of combustion of fossil fuels in power stations and internal combusion engines in cars and lorries. Wet deposition occurs at considerable distances downwind of the sources of pollution, so that the problem is international. Acid rain causes problems for human health, damage to buildings through corrosion, and environmental damage, including for example killing fish in Scandinavian lakes and causing die-back in German forests. In all cases the actual scale of damage is uncertain. The sources of acid rain can be reduced by methods including flue gas desulphurization for power-plants, and switching to low sulphur coal.

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