Acid Precipitation: Causes and Precipitation

Abstract

The dramatic intensification of the acid rain problem in recent years occasions this three-part investigation of teh increasingly troublesome phenomenon. The present article details the causes of acid precipitation and its consequences for the abiotic and biotic components of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and for natural and man-made materials. The two subsequent articles in the series will discuss the need for a new regulatory approach for alleviating the problem and will focus on acid rain as an inter-national environmental concern.