Acid rain Acid rain Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. Some governments have made efforts since the 1970s to reduce the release of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere with positive results. Nitrogen oxides can also be produced naturally by lightning strikes, and sulphur dioxide
Sulfur produces the polysulfanes, HS where x = 2, 3, and 4. Ultimately, reduction of sulfur produces sulfide salts: The interconversion of these species is exploited in the sodium-sulfur battery. The radical anion S gives the blue color of the mineral lapis lazuli. The principal sulfur oxides are obtained by burning sulfur: Multiple sulfur oxides are known; the sulfur-rich oxides include sulfur monoxide, disulfur monoxide, disulfur dioxides, and higher oxides containing peroxo groups. Sulfur forms sulfur oxoacids, some of which cannot be isolated and are only known through the salts. Sulfur dioxide and sulfites () are related to the unstable sulfurous