The experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of sulfuric acid and nitric acid among the main components of simulated acid rain (SAR) on the growth of vegetative organs and seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana. The Arabidopsis treated with SAR supplemented with sulfuric and nitric acids, respectively, showed 28% and 30% decrease of shoot and root growth compared to the control plants, and also many necrotic spots on leaf surfaces after SAR treatment were observed. The shoot and root length for plants grown with nitric acid rain was 14% and 17% lower, respectively, compared to the control, whereas those grown with sulfuric acid rain was 24% and 25% lower than control plants. When Arabidopsis seeds were sown in distilled water, germination rate was 100% after 7 days. However, 80% in SAR medium supplemented with sulfuric and nitric acids, 88% in sulfuric acid rain medium and 93% in nitric acid rain medium. The germination abilities of seeds harvested from SAR supplemented with sulfuric and nitric acids, sulfuric acid rain, and nitric acid rain were 73%, 73% and 94%, respectively. Consequently, sulfuric acids showed more inhibitory effects than nitric acids on the growth of vegetative organs as well as germination rates in Arabidopsis.