Acid Rain
Also called acid precipitation or acid deposition, acid
rain is precipitation containing harmful amounts of nitric and sulfuric
acids formed primarily by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides released
into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. It can be wet
precipitation (rain, snow or fog) or dry precipitation (absorbed
gaseous and particulate matter, aerosol particles or dust).
(Courtesy of Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy)
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