Ozone can reduce the size of plants and cause leaf spotting. It can change the color of clothing dyes, cause fabrics to lose strength, and corrode some metals. Nitrogen oxides also produce a brown haze that impairs visibility. Ecology evaluates the potential of new sources to harm visibility and applies stringent emission limits to protect our state's scenic resources. In addition, nitrogen oxides are one of the ingredients of acid rain.
Acid rain changes the chemistry of lakes and streams, which destroys aquatic life.
It makes soil more acid, damages building materials, cloth, and metals, and can potentially contaminate drinking water. The Washington Clean Air Act adopted in 1991 includes measures for reducing the amount of nitrogen oxides and ozone in the air.