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A SO2Air pollution is the deterioration of the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of air due to the addition of substances known as pollutants. One of the most severe impacts of air pollution on the lives of organisms as well as the environment is the occurrence of acid rain.
Acid rain occurs when acidic chemicals such as nitric acid, sulphuric acid etc. precipitate on Earth in wet (rain, fog, snow) or dry (wind-blown acidic gases and chemicals) forms.
Pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide (
SO2), when added in large concentrations to the air, react with oxygen, atmospheric water vapour and other chemicals to form acids such as nitric acid and sulphuric acid. These acids mix with rain water or other substances before they fall on to the ground in wet or dry forms.
Apart from killing plants and animals due to alteration of pH in soil and water bodies, acid rain also causes damage to monuments and properties by spoiling or corroding structures made up of stone, marble, limestone etc. One of the major reasons behind the gradual depletion in the beauty of the Taj Mahal is the corrosion of its marbles due to acid rain.