Sulfur dioxide is a noticeable component in the atmosphere, especially following volcanic eruptions. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of sulfur dioxide released in the U.S. per year was: Sulfur dioxide is a major air pollutant and has significant impacts upon human health. In addition, the concentration of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere can influence the habitat suitability for plant communities, as well as animal life. Sulfur dioxide emissions are a precursor to acid rain and atmospheric particulates. Due largely to the US EPA’s Acid Rain Program, the U.S. has had a 33% decrease in emissions between 1983
Lower sulfur oxides Jupiter's moons, and Venus contain significant amounts of sulfur oxides. Some compounds reported by early workers such as the blue "sesquioxide", SO, formed by dissolving sulfur in liquid SO appears to be a mixture of polysulfate salts of the S and S ions. These species are all very unstable and are observed as fleeting intermediates in the gas phase. At a few millibars pressure, the relative stabilities are SO > SO > SO. Sulfur monoxide (SO) and its dimer (SO) have been trapped at low temperature. Disulfur dioxide (SO) is a dimer of sulfur monoxide. It has C structure (planar).