Acid Rain in the Philippines?

Acid Rain


Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. Governments have made efforts since the 1970s to reduce the release of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere with positive results. Nitrogen oxides can also be produced naturally by lightning strikes and sulfur dioxide is produced by volcanic eruptions. The chemicals in acid rain can cause paint to peel, corrosion of steel structures such as bridges, and erosion of stone statues. 

"Acid rain" is a popular term referring to the deposition of wet (rain, snow, sleet, fog, cloudwater, and dew) and dry (acidifying particles and gases) acidic components. Distilled water, once carbon dioxide is removed, has a neutral pH of 7. Liquids with a pH less than 7 are acidic, and those with a pH greater than 7 are alkaline. “Clean” or unpolluted rain has a slightly acidic pH of over 5.7, because carbon dioxide and water in the air react together to form carbonic acid, but unpolluted rain also contains other chemicals. A common example is nitricacid produced by electric discharge in the atmosphere such as lightning. Carbonic acid is formed by the reaction

H₂O (l) + CO₂ (g)  H₂CO₃ (aq)

Carbonic acid then can ionize in water forming low concentrations of hydronium and carbonate ions:

H₂O (l) + H₂CO₃ (aq)  HCO₃⁻ (aq) + H₃O⁺ (aq)

Acid deposition as an environmental issue would include additional acids to H₂CO₃.

There have been an abundant of messages and reports on different social networking sites regarding an acid rain that is supposedly reach the Philippines, but it isn't true according to authorities. According to the message,  the acid rain was reportedly due to the nuclear blast in Japan on Saturday after a magnitude-8.9 earthquake hit the country on Friday, March 11, 2011.

One Facebook advisory that continuously cause fears to online users reads, "BBC FLASHNEWS: Japanese government confirms radiation leak at Fukushima nuclear plants. Asian countries should take necessary precautions. Remain indoors for the first 24hrs. They are advised to close doors n windows. Swab neck skin with betadine where thyroid area is, radiation hits thyroid first. Take extra precaution, radiation may hit our country  starting 4pm.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) denied the rumors as well. They explained that the winds from Japan are moving away from us. It's not true that these winds contain acid rain and that the radiation ;leak on Japan will not have an effect in the country.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo also said that, "There is no immediate threat to the Philippines... We are very optimistic in a few days puwede na natin bitawan 'yan (We are very optimistic in a few days we can declare no threat to the country)."