Go Back

Ashburn, VA

71°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

71°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

Top Stories AccuWeather Early AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Climate Travel Health Recreation Business Sports

News / Health

The unhealthy effects of acid rain

By Staff, AccuWeather

Published Feb 27, 2020 8:16 PM EDT

Copied
Live Coverage For all things weather, 24 hours a day.

We've heard this term before, acid rain. This hazard is not exclusive to urban areas either. What is it and how does it form? Let's find out.

Did you know that all rain is somewhat acidic? Acid rain occurs when carbon dioxide in the air slightly lowers the pH levels. Naturally-occurring acidic rain has little effect on humans. On the other hand, industrial pollutants can cause extremely acidic rain.

Acid rain effects can be harmful to both humans and the environment. Below are some harmful effects of acidic rain. Read on to learn more about how acid rain and pollution go hand-in-hand.

acid rain city

Photo by Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry

What causes acid rain

In a world free of pollutants, acid rain would be a rare occurrence. Volcanic eruptions and vegetation rot cause small amounts of acid rain. Snow can melt and release high levels of acidic water from prior acidic rainfall, as well. Unfortunately, industrial pollutants like coal-burning plants and cars or buses release harmful amounts of sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides each day. Both combine with carbon dioxide in the air and cause rainwater's pH to drop. Rainwater that would otherwise be safe suddenly becomes a health hazard.

person under rain

Photo by Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry

How acid rain harms humans

Acidic water poses few immediate health risks to humans. The most immediate acid rain effects are manmade pollutants. Industrial pollutants from sulfates and nitrates that people unknowingly breathe in. Studies show increased risks for heart attacks and respiratory problems for people exposed to these particles. Nitrogen oxides in pollutants also cause unusual acid rain effects like ground-level ozone to occur. Direct exposure to ozone can cause emphysema or even chronic pneumonia. Acid rain in higher altitudes can turn into a low fog. Acidic rain in the form of fog can irritate the eyes and limit visibility.

acid rain

Photo by Inge Maria

Inge Maria

How acid rain harms the environment

Acid rain can break down chemicals in the ground, releasing minerals and causing acidity in the soil. Leaves may wilt and die when exposed to acid rain. One of the most devastating effects of acid rain? Acidic soil yields little growth. Crops can fail when acid rain runoff pulls aluminum and other minerals from the soil. Other effects of acid rain include disturbances in moving or still waters. Alkaline water has a pH of 7 or higher. Water below a pH of 5 is harmful to most fish. Aquatic organisms filter the acidic water into their body when breathing and can become sick or even die. Extremely alkaline or acidic water can also kill fish eggs. In some cases, large populations of fish have died because of acid rain effects, taking the fish industry by surprise.

acid rain

Photo by Inge Maria

Inge Maria

Ways we can protect ourselves against extreme acid rain

Environmental regulations have helped lessen the occurrence of acid rain in the last century. The Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement of 1991 helped push North America away from harmful industrial practices that could lead to acid rain. Public efforts continue to combat practices that lead to acidic rain. Still, you want to be ready before acid rain affects your area. Those who suffer from asthma or other respiratory issues may want to stay indoors when pollution or other acid rain effects are high in their area. Replace air filters to maintain the best indoor air quality. You shouldn't need any protective gear besides your typical rain gear.

acid rain

Phoo by David Clarke

David Clarke

Stay safe one forecast at a time

Living well means better awareness of how our environment affects us and vice versa. When spring rains come, you don't want to look out in fear of acid rain. If anything, you want to be able to enjoy the rainwater and put those new rainboots to good use!Check our daily alerts for warnings about pollutants. We check air quality and rainwater daily so you can protect yourself from the elements.

Related:

Winter smog: Its causes and effects
Why air pollution is worse in winter
The 10 best winter fruits you should eat to stay healthy this season
The top reasons recycling is good for the climate
Top sustainable tech products you must buy
How to reduce plastic waste this winter
Report a Typo
Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.
Comments
Hide Comments

Weather News

Hurricane

AccuWeather's 2023 Atlantic hurricane season forecast

Jun. 1, 2023
Astronomy

June’s short nights to bring plenty of stargazing opportunities

May 31, 2023
video

Powerful tornado rips apart buildings, sends cars flying in northern C...

Jun. 1, 2023
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

Top Stories

AccuWeather Early

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Climate

Travel

Health

Recreation

Business

Sports

Top Stories

Severe Weather

Thunderstorms across the central US to help with drought relief

2 hours ago

Weather News

Portions of Northeast, Midwest at risk of 'flash drought'

4 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

Cool air to rush across Northeast in wake of record-breaking heat

4 hours ago

Climate

Farm animals, crops suffer from extreme weather affecting China

2 days ago

Business

Arizona announces limits on construction in Phoenix area

2 days ago

More Stories

Featured Topic

Your Local Asthma Forecast

Featured Stories

Winter Weather

Report cites multiple failures in Buffalo’s response to blizzard

1 day ago

Live Blog

Astronomy news: Feather-shaped cloud shimmers in Mars sky

LATEST ENTRY

‘Sun rays’ amaze scientists studying Martian weather

2 days ago

Astronomy

Alien-like message sent to Earth in test to prepare for the real thing

2 days ago

AccuWeather Health The unhealthy effects of acid rain
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Do Not Sell My Data checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

FEEDBACK