Related Terms

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Background

• Acid rain is a term that describes a combination of wet (rain, snow, sleet, fog and cloud water, dew) and dry (gases, dust, particles) materials that fall from the atmosphere to the surface of the earth. This natural depositing of materials is known as deposition. Normal rain has a pH (level of acidity) of about 5.6, while acid rain is defined as having a pH of less than 5.6.
• Early history: The appearance of acid rain began with the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800s due to the burning of fossil fuels for steam power.
• British scientist Robert Angus Smith coined the term "acid rain" in 1852 to describe the correlation between the polluted air of London and the acidic precipitation in the area. In Air and Rain (1872), Smith published the findings of experiments analyzing rain water around the British Isles and determined that manufacturing towns and cities were the most acidic.
• Acid rain (United States): In 1967, the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire was the site of the first documented notice of acid rain in North America.
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Technique

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Theory/Evidence

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Health Impact/Safety

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Future Research or Applications

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Author Information

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References

Natural Standard developed the above evidence-based information based on a thorough systematic review of the available scientific articles. For comprehensive information about alternative and complementary therapies on the professional level, go to www.naturalstandard.com. Selected references are listed below.

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