Acidification

Because sulphur emissions have started to fall you may think that the danger of acidification is over. However, acidification continues to get worse in many areas - albeit at a slower rate than before. The problem will only be solved when emissions of acidifying pollutants fall well below the levels that nature can tolerate and neutralize.

Because air pollution knows no boundaries, emissions of sulphur dioxides and nitrogen oxides produced elsewhere can have an impact on local acidification. This highlights the need for international cooperation on air pollution issues such as in the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution work.