Soils can be damaged by removing needed nutrients and dissolving toxic heavy metals from the soil. Metals such as aluminum can get into the roots of plants and prevent the uptake of other important nutrients. Forests in areas with sensitive soils can be severely affected by acidification. In Quebec, for example, sugar maple forests have been heavily damaged by acid rain. Acid rain can also result in human health concerns and damage to buildings.
Acid rain can aggravate respiratory ailments such as bronchitis and asthma.
Humans may also be affected by drinking water which contains higher levels of toxic metals which have been dissolved from soils and pipes by the increased acidity of drinking water supplies. Construction materials such as limestone, marble and sandstone can also be damaged by acid rain, resulting in eroded buildings and monuments. There are basically two ways of reducing acid rain. Emission control technologies can be attached to smokestacks at power plants and other industries, removing the acid gases before they are emitted into the atmosphere. The resulting gypsum slurry can eventually be used in other industrial processes.