Acid rain is caused due to emission of which of the following into the atmosphere ?

Acid rain is primarily caused by the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere. These gases are released mainly through the burning of fossil fuels in power plants, industrial processes, and motor vehicles [c3, t1, t8]. Once in the atmosphere, these oxides react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3) [c5, t1]. These acidic compounds then mix with precipitation—such as rain, snow, or fog—and fall to the ground [t1, t9]. While natural rainfall is slightly acidic (pH ~5.6) due to dissolved carbon dioxide forming weak carbonic acid, acid rain typically has a much lower pH, often between 4.2 and 4.4, which can damage ecosystems, buildings, and aquatic life [c2, c4, t1].

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 6: Geomorphic Movements > Anthropogenic Solution Weathering > p. 90
2. [2] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > Acidification > p. 8
3. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 6: Geomorphic Movements > Anthropogenic Solution Weathering > p. 91
4. [4] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 5.15.4. Chemistry of Acid Rain > p. 103
5. [5] https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain
6. [6] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/acid-rain
7. [7] https://www.britannica.com/science/acid-rain