The accumulation of acids or acidic compounds on the surface of the Earth, in lakes or streams, or on objects or vegetation near the Earth’s surface, as a result of their separation from the atmosphere. Acid deposition can harm the environment in a variety of ways, as by causing the acidification of lakes and streams, the leaching of minerals and other nutrients from soil, and the inhibition of nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis in plants.♦ The accumulation of acids that fall to the Earth dissolved in water is known as wet deposition. Wet deposition includes all forms of acid precipitation such as acid rain, snow, and fog.♦ The accumulation of acidic particles that settle out of the atmosphere or of acidic gases that are absorbed by plant tissues or other surfaces is known as dry deposition.
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