Degradation of Portland cement concrete under exposure to acids is well documented.Calcium hydroxide,calcium silicate hydrate and other calcium based hydration products are vulnerable to acid exposure and leaching.In this paper, the degradation of alkali activated binders, which have received much attention in recent literature as sustainable alternatives to portland cement-based binders, in low-pH environment is discussed.Several series of alkali activated fly ash and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (Slag) pastes were exposed to 0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0% sulfuric acidic solutions for a period of 56 days.Portland cement-based control mixtures were exposed in the same manner in order to compare the performances.The leachates were analyzed at various soaking periods using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine the concentration of the leached Ca, Si, Al, Na, S and other related ions.Additionally, reductions in mass and compressive strength were measured after various soaking periods in order to quantify the degree of degradation caused by acid exposure.A microstructural investigation of the degradation was also performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to identify the occurrence of microscale damage after acid exposure.The results of these experiments indicate improved resistance to mechanical damage from acid attack in alkali activated binders in comparison with traditional portland cement-based binders.