Effects on Plants, Animals, and Humans

Acid rain can be carried great distances in the atmosphere, not just between countries but also from continent to continent. The acid can also take the form of snow, mists and dry dusts. The rain sometimes falls many miles from the source of pollution but wherever it falls it can have a serious effect on soil, trees, buildings and water.


Effects on Plants- As acid rain falls on a forest it trickles through the leaves of the trees and runs down into the soil below. Acid rain washes away the nutrients in the soil that help the trees to grow. It wears away the waxy protective coating of leaves, damaging them and preventing them from being able to photosynthesise properly. It cause the release of harmful substances such as aluminium into the soil. A combination of these effects weakens the trees which means that they can be more easily attacked by diseases and insects or injured by bad weather.


Effects on Animals- Acid rain runs off the land and ends up in streams and lakes which kills animals living and drinking from these lakes. Freshwater shrimps, snails, mussels are the most quickly affected by acidification. Followed by fish such as minnows, and salmon. The roe and fry (eggs and young) of the fish are the worst affected, the acidity of the water can cause deformity in young fish and can prevent eggs from hatching properly. Animals that live in the forests affected by acid rain, are also effected because of the loss of their habitat. Even though acid rain usually only effects smaller animals, at the bottom of their food web, the top of the food web is still affected due to bioamplification.


Effects on Humans- Acid rain has been shown to cause illnesses and even premature deaths. It also is known to cause types of cancer and other diseases. One way in which acid rain affects us, is how it speeds up the erosion process on the buildings we live and work in. Another way it effects us is by killing the plants and livestock that we eat and depend on every day.