NAEP Science Grade 12

Correct Response: A. When dissolved in water, especially rain, nitrogen oxides produce an acid that will cause the minerals in the soil to leach away as they dissolve in the acid rain. This can lead to reduced soil fertility, creating an environmental concern. The populations of nitrogen-fixing bacteria (B), the rate of ozone depletion (C), and the eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems (D) are not affected by nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere or when dissolved in water in clouds or in precipitation as acid rain.