Is acid rain harmful to human beings?

Acid rain impacts several parts of the environment:

Water: Acidic water affects the growth and health of fish and other aquatic life, by reducing the pH of the water and impacting the health and breeding success of the fish and aquatic invertebrates. It also dissolves metals out of sediments and rocks to increase the metals (e.g., lead) in the water. These can be taken up by the plants and contaminate the associated seeds or fruit.

Land: Acid rain impacts crop growth and soil structure. It can affect the growth of plants as many plants have a specific soil pH for optimum growth. In addition it can leach nutrients out of the topsoil, into the groundwater and into the water table. The leaching of nutrients from the soil makes them unavailable to plant life. Acid precipitation can change the ionic balance in clayey soils, affecting their structure.

Infrastructure: Acid rain can corrode metal structures and erode cement, limestone and marble buildings.

Forest Ecology: Acid rain damages trees at high elevations. An acid rain damaged forest contains fewer environmental niches for wildlife.

Public Health: The pollutants that cause acid rain -- sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides -- are inhaled and cause an increase in heart and lung conditions (and premature death).

This list does not include secondary efffects like the reduction of predators' prey caused by the reduction of fish numbers.