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Acid Deposition: Legal And Political Controversies, Noelle F. Lewis

Theses and Major Papers

Acid rain is more accurately referred to as acid deposition since acidity is deposited in both the wet and dry form. Acid rain results from the conversion of sulfur and nitrogen gases to sulfates and nitrates, respectively. In the United States, sulfur compounds are responsible for about two-thirds of the acidity in precipitation; nitrogen compounds, one-third. In 1980, man-made sources in the United States emitted approximately 26 million tons of sulfur dioxide and 21 million tons nitrogen oxides. Within the United States, the major sources of sulfur dioxide emissions, approximately 90-95% of the total, are electric generating utilities, industrial boilers, …