On humans: respiratory disease, more difficult to clear inhaled particles and bacteria from the lungs
On other living organisms: reduced photosynthesis, increased risk of infections, some chemicals may be carcinogenic
On non-living objects: damage buildings due to the acids and organic solvents, cleaning dirty buildings is expensive
On the climate: large releases of smoke can reduce temperatures because the high albedo of the smoke reflects light so it does not reach the ground where it may have been absorbed and converted to heat
Smoke particles are small and can remain suspended in the atmosphere for long periods, especially in the stratosphere where there is no rain to wash it out
More efficient combustion technology can reduce smoke particles, for example, turbo chargers in diesel engines enable more air and oxygen to be delivered to the combustion chamber
Limestone structures such as buildings and statues are damaged as the acids dissolve the surface layers and weaken the stone structure of porous limestone
Lichens are very sensitive to acidic conditions and their size, state of health, abundance and diversity may be used in a biotic index to monitor acid rain pollution