Sulfate is one of the components of acid rain. It causes deterioration of stone and other building materials.

Per context it seems to refer to either acid rain or some sort of sulfurous run-off / contamination. By default i'd go for the more generic "corroding agents"

penso intenda sulphate soil waters...

Acque solfatiche: si tratta prevalentemente di acque che attraversano suoli ..... XS1 - esposto alla salsedine marina ma non direttamente in contatto con ... La resistenza caratteristica imposta dal vincolo della durabilità, che AA. ...
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durabilità.

... con acque solfatiche o selentitose, reagisce dando origine ad ettringite. ... Vengono definiti cementi ad alta resistenza ai solfati, quei cementi di ...
www.puntoedilizia.it/i-cementi-portland-speciali.htm -
http://www.puntoedilizia.it/i-cementi-portland-speciali.htm

"...Type II is intended to have moderate sulfate resistance with or without moderate heat of hydration...
...which reduces its vulnerability to sulfates. This type is for general construction that is exposed to moderate sulfate attack and is meant for use when concrete is in contact with soils and ground water especially in the western United States due to the high sulfur content of the soil...
...Type V is used where sulfate resistance is important. Its typical compound composition is:

38% (C3S), 43% (C2S), 4% (C3A), 9% (C4AF), 1.9% MgO, 1.8% (SO3), 0.9% Ignition loss, and 0.8% free CaO.

This cement has a very low (C3A) composition which accounts for its high sulfate resistance...
...This type is used in concrete that is to be exposed to alkali soil and ground water sulfates which react..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_cement


He mentioned the specification for five types of cement which was being balloted
... in contact with sulfate waters than cements of high aluminate content. ...
http://books.google.com/books?id=IHYRZjg8Gp8C&lpg=PA76&dq=ce...



The Lower the Percentage of Tricalcium Aluminate in the Cement, and the Richer
... tests involved exposure of concrete specimens immersed in sulfate waters.
http://books.google.com/books?id=plRnBOM30TEC&lpg=PA196&dq=c...

In sulfate attack, disintegration or cracking of concrete can take place when
sulfate waters are able to permeate into concrete and convert the cement ...
http://books.google.com/books?id=kPd3asMNZZ0C&lpg=PA336&dq=c...

High alumina cement has a rapid rate of
development of strength and has superior resistance to sea and sulphate waters.
http://books.google.com/books?id=vnuNnMpCJicC&lpg=PA216&dq="...


(4) Sulfate resistance. The use of entrained air improves the sulfate resistance ... will be most resistant to attack from sulfate soil waters or sea water. ...
http://books.google.gr/books?id=lEEcfpqSXPoC&lpg=PA14&ots=Yq...

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Note added at 1 ώρα (2009-09-29 08:30:36 GMT)
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Ho tenuto a lungo aperta la domanda, cercando fonti attendibili, e sono stato preceduto :-))
cmq, studia le ultime due referenze in qui si parla di "resistance to sea and sulfate soil waters"...