Acid rain is an atmospheric deposition phenomenon characterized by precipitation with elevated concentrations of strong acids, primarily sulfuric (H₂SO₄) and nitric (HNO₃) acids, resulting in a pH typically below 5.6. It arises from the oxidation of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), emitted mainly by fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes, into acidic species within cloud water and aerosols via gas-phase and aqueous-phase reactions. Acid rain encompasses wet deposition (rain, snow, fog) and dry deposition (acidic gases and particles), influencing biogeochemical cycles, altering soil and freshwater chemistry, and affecting material weathering and ecosystem function.
President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday moved to loosen truck pollution regulations put in place by his predecessor, Joe Biden, in its latest environmental rollback benefiting makers of fossil fuel-burning vehicles.
Environment
Jul 10, 2026
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Rainfall history is just as critical to predicting air pollution as where the air came from, a team led by University of Michigan Engineering researchers, in collaboration with scientists at the Appalachian Mountain Club ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 17, 2026
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On the evening of March 7, 2026, a series of explosions and fires occurred at multiple oil storage and refining facilities in Tehran, Iran. A research team has utilized a constellation of satellites to investigate and quantify ...
Environment
May 26, 2026
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The field of solar geoengineering revolves around the idea of cooling the globe via the injection of aerosols to reflect sunlight or to thin clouds. One such strategy, stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), aims to mimic ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 23, 2026
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China's sweeping efforts to clean up its air have delivered one of the biggest public health success stories of recent decades. Since the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan was launched in 2013, coal-fired power ...
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the streams are telling us a story about forest recovery following acid rain and logging. According to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, long-term ...
Ecology
Oct 23, 2025
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A new miniscule nitrogen dioxide sensor could help protect the environment from vehicle pollutants that cause lung disease and acid rain.
Bio & Medicine
Jan 6, 2023
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