'Should I Be Worried?' 4 - Finding The Answers

The page that prompted my question

Do you remember the question I had on the first blogpost of this 'Should I Be Worried' series? (For those of you who are new to my blog, there are three previous posts leading up to this final one; please read those first if you are interested in acidic precipitation!) I had wondered whether the following argument in the book was a strong one: since beverages such as orange juice and coke are strong acids that are harmless for our consumption, acid rain - of much lower acidity - cannot have the head-balding effects that many Koreans fear. Pushing aside the "absurdity" of the fear, I'd thought that this perhaps was not a very accurate argument. Everyone knows that strong acids like HCL and H2SO4 should not be consumed...but the above mentioned drinks - also strong acids - can be safely consumed. What makes certain acids drinkable and others dangerous? I'd thought that maybe there was a different type of acids...so I set out to find out. As I mentioned in my previous post, I couldn't get the information I wanted on the Internet. So I asked my chemistry professor and earth science professor and got a somewhat clearer picture. 

          According to my chemistry professor, there is no different type or kind of acidity that decides whether a certain beverage is drinkable or not. After talking with her, I realized that I hadn't thought deeply enough about how acidity works...even strong acids like hydrogen chloride and sulfuric acid can be diluted so that they are safe to drink. But then I got another question: suppose there is a sample of hydrogen chloride at pH 4 and orange juice at pH 4. When they're both at the same - and low - pH level, obviously the latter is the one we would drink. while what the book said felt more reasonable (that rainwater is acidic but only at a very low level, thus causes no harm to our health) I got yet another question, so I set out to ask my earth science professor. 

The book asks us to question

 "Acid Rain" itself

          We mainly discussed whether we could determine the safety - or lack of - in a certain food only based on its level of pH. He said (adding that he is not a biology teacher, haha) that the reactions a bit of food goes through our digestive system can be different from another. Our body reacts differently to each food so that even if a strong acid enters, there is a sort of "buffer system" that would make sure it causes no harm to our internal system. A classic example from high school biology class makes it clear: Cells in the duodenum - the beginning of the small intestine - secrete bicarbonate to neutralize any gastric acid before it is passed through the digestive tract. Likewise, a strong acid like orange juice does not harm us since it goes through a "system" that makes it harmless. Thus, it would be inaccurate to claim that certain foods are safer or more dangerous than others simply because of its pH levels. Plus, there would also be a difference between consuming acidic drinks (so that they actually get in our bodies) and having acidic liquids remain on our scalps. (Remember, Koreans do not fear getting in touch with rain...they fear what rainwater can do if we don't wash it away quickly from our hair roots.)
          Although the little "research" I did only scratched the surface, I think I can give a sort of conclusion to the question I had. Yes, rain usually has a much higher level of pH than liquids that we consume or use on a daily basis. This suggests that rainwater can be safe to drink, for example, so there shouldn't be such a great fear about acid rain when only looking at the level of acidity. On the other hand, drinking and getting in sustained contact with acid rain are quite different. Therefore, to say that rainwater would not cause any harm to our scalp ( it does sound a bit funny written down, doesn't it?) simply because it is less acidic than liquids that we drinkwould not be the strongest argument to make. What do you think??

There are some areas where the water sources have
Arsenic concentrations higher than 0.05 ppm

          So with my question answered somewhat satisfactorily, what have I got to say about this book? It shook me up, quite a bit. Although I only wrote about whether we should be worried about acid rain or snow, the book's later chapters provide knowledge and ideas for using rainwater as a resource. According to the professor, we may not even need to depend on dams, underground water storage or bottled water. Controlling the flow of rain efficiently could eliminate floods or the problems of poisoned water sources. The most important thing, though, was this: of course I agree with the parts about acid rain as a resource, but I struggled a little with what the book called "The Strange Story of Acid Rain". What the book said (that in Korea, acid rain should not be held accountable for acidified lakes and forests, corroded buildings and of course, baldness among other things) clashed with what I ideas I had accumulated over the years. The thinking process itself was one of the most valuable things I gained. Whether or not I completely agree with everything in this book is another matter; but I recommend it to anyone who wants to have their paradigms challenged, beliefs and ideas confronted and astonishing knowledge and concepts gained. So yes, I had quite a unique reading experience with "Rainwater and You" by Moo Young Han and Chang Rae Kang. 

Sorry about the delay in publishing this blogpost :((( This time, I'll be more specific: the next post will be up before May comes!

'Should I Be Worried?' 3 - Drinking Rain

Image from http://www.cloudjuice.com.au/Size_Matters.html

Clouds are usually pictured as wispy fluffs floating about in the skies. But what if you could 'squeeze' them like oranges and get 'juice'? Haha, I'm sure that's not exactly possible. But "Cloud Juice" is the name of an Australian bottled water brand - and quite an appropriate name it is! * This example is quite significant in this series of blogposts for it deals exclusively with the question of whether we can drink rainwater for its safety as well as taste. 

Drinking rainwater is something Professor Han strongly advocates. According to the professor, rainwater is the cleanest water on Earth. Koreans usually assume streams of water deep in the mountains are quite hygienic. Since such water is actually rainwater, the professor argues that Koreans should then have no problems with drinking rain even in industrialized areas. The Korean peninsula has a highly mountainous terrain; thus, it is quite common to see veins of clear water flowing past when up hiking. 

Some of us may have doubts about drinking rain, but the professor holds a strong belief in rainwater. In the book is described a trip to a remote village near the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. Professor Han and his team of several university students built rainwater collecting units in some individual houses to provide the villagers with water for drinking as well as farming and cooking. The villagers needed this new source of water badly- until then, they had to do with Arsenic-contaminated underground water. What I found the most remarkable was the simplicity of the unit: it is easy to set up and requires materials that are not difficult to find. I attached a photo in the book for you to see! The facility can be divided into three main parts: catchment (for collecting rain directly), bucket (for filtration) and series of tubes (for storing rainwater). The simplicity of the apparatus means it can easily be set up by the villagers themselves. Although I am yet to reach a definite conclusion about acid rain, it surely is a much better alternative to the poisonous water . 

Image from the book 'Rainwater And You' 

by Professor Moo Young Han and Chang Rae Kang

Through the explanations of such projects, the book discusses the importance of rain as a resource. All of us are familiar with the environmentally-friendly way rain is used in buildings. But like the rainwater collection units, we may be able to find even simpler solutions to solve the problem of water shortage.

*http://www.cloudjuice.com.au/Size_Matters.html

'Should I Be Worried?' 2 - Textbooks of Today & A 1989 Newspaper Article

          So many thoughts are swimming around my head, demanding further explanations and popping up more questions. Yup, I finished the book ('Rainwater And You' - if you didn't see the previous post, please read that one first), and I'm left slightly numb with all the new information. There is so much I didn't give enough thought to, and heaps more that I want to find more about. The next step to take, though, is surely not to run about wildly flapping my hands with a 'Help' sign but to organize what I've learned, adding further knowledge, evidence and ideas. I will be posting several more posts for the weeks to come. I'm sorry that my posts will be up with varying lengths of intervals between; I try to find at least a few satisfactory answers before I post, and the time this takes is unpredictable.  Still, the next post will be up in less than a week, so keep up with the updates!
          
 

Image from the NY Department of Environmental Conservation
 http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8418.html
We have seen such images in many textbooks!

        Firstly, we have to talk about textbooks. While this book only deals with Korean ones, books I studied from in my middle school years and IGCSE curriculum all had similar information. The overall picture is this: human activity releases harmful gases into the atmosphere, causing air pollution. Sulfur dioxide from burning fossil fuels and oxides of nitrogen from car engines form acid rain in damp air. * Acid rain causes great damage to forests, crops, lakes, stonework and metal in buildings. The books I used to study from didn't have detailed chemical reactions, but my classmates and I got the general idea. Acid rain is dangerous, and is partly the reason why we see horrifying pictures of dead fish by the shore - lifeless eyes, dirty scaled skin and blackened teeth. Such images hunt us from the very first time we see them.
          This book claims that rainwater cannot have caused such damage. This applies to most areas around the world, but definitely to the Korean peninsula. As mentioned in the previous post, the yellow dust that swept to the land for the past centuries is mixed with the soil.  According to the book, more than 1 million tonnes of yellow dust land every year. Basically, there is enough on Korea to neutralize any acid rain that falls. Furthermore, it is not just the yellow dust that has this effect - even if "a bit of dust" gets added to rain, it gets neutralized. 

          Professor Han explains an experiment he conducted on the roof of a university building. The pH of rain collected on a clean dish was 5.6 - a weak acid. The rain that flowed down the dusty roof, however, was alkaline - 7 ~ 8.5 in pH. He also observed that the pH rose further as time passed by. 
          When asked about the destruction of lake ecosystems in Scandinavia**, Professor Han says a big part of the reason is the territorial characteristics. There are only lots of rock, thus, there is little to neutralize acid rain. He adds that he heard bits of calcium carbonate is sometimes thrown over the lake for neutralization. He goes on to say that such events have usually taken place long ago - as late as the 1950s. This was a time when air pollution was much more severe than the present, to such an extent that a walk through smog could result in death. The professor states that stories of such events are "more history than science". 

          The interviewer in the book asks the professor about a Korean newspaper article from 1989, published by the Forestry Research Institute. Research in the Hongneung forest area showed the lowest pH of 3.7, highest of 7.6 and average of 4.7. Professor Han says it is hard to understand pH levels as low as 3.7  could be found in forests. If there was exceptional air pollution in the area, perhaps, it could be a reason why. He states, however, that pH of 7.6 is "strange". Rain that goes through clean water has pH of about 5.6. Yellow dust season could be a way to explain this unusual alkaline rain, except it would contradict the pH 3.7; rain cannot have such a low pH when there is yellow dust in the atmosphere. The professor says rain of high pH may have been collected from the ground, which would suggest a situation similar to that of his experiment. He concludes that without knowing the specific method of measurement, he cannot be completely sure.

Even light snowfall means umbrellas and hoods

          The answer he gave for the next question, though, was a little unsatisfactory. The interviewer asks about the possible harmful effects of directly getting in contact with acid rain. *** The professor replies that he is not a medical expert, but doesn't think it would be bad for our health. He compares the situation to taking a bath in a hot spring of high sulfur levels. The water is much more acidic than most rain, but nobody considers that the bath could be dangerous. I think this is a poor answer in a few ways. Just as he explained, the rainwater loses its acidity when it flows down a surface or lands on the ground. But the interviewer specifically asked about rain that fell directly on us, not after contact with another object. Surely the example of the bath is not a very suitable comparison. Moreover, there is a notable difference in his attitude in addressing this question. Only a few pages earlier in the same chapter does he pronounce the absurdity of getting harmed in any way through rain. He clearly says that there is no reason to be afraid of acid rain falling on us. What caused this sudden change in the tone? These are only minor details, but they nevertheless make me pause in my tracks. 


         In case some of you are wondering, I couldn't find a satisfactory answer on the Internet about the type of acidity which I talked about in the previous post. When school starts after the spring break ends (soon) I will ask my earth science professor and chemistry professor about it! Keep up with the updates!

* For anyone who's interested: the beautiful chemistry of it!

Nitrogen Oxides:
N2(g) + O2(g) -> 2NO *This takes place with lightning
NO(g) + 0.5O2(g) -> NO2(g)
3NO2(g) + H2O(l) -> 2HNO3(aq) + NO(g)
Then nitric acid dissociates into H+ ions and NO3- ions.
Since this takes place in water, it lowers its pH.

Sulfur Dioxide
S(s) + O2(g) -> SO2(g)
SO2(g) + O -> SO3(g)
H2O(l) + SO3(g) -> H2SO4(aq)
Then sulfuric acid dissociates into H+ ions and (SO4)2- or HSO4- ions.
This also takes place in water, thus lowering its pH.

**  See the following websites for more information:
http://www.environment.no/Topics/Air-pollution/Acid-rain/
http://sustainabilityandthecommons.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/scandinavian-moan-acid-rain/

*** The majority of people in Korea fear rain falling on them; this may be different in other parts of the world. 

'Should I Be Worried?' - Acid Rain/Snow

         Last night's news report on TV included another horribly unnerving coverage on massive snowfall around Korea. With the greatest depth of snow being 110.1cm this month (as of 14/02/14) and the damage costs adding up to 5 billion Korean won in just the Gangwon East Sea area*, Korea is facing a colossal catastrophe like nearby Asian countries, North America and others.
         Already February, most of us have had enough of snow. But even without news about greenhouses, factories and houses collapsing due to abnormal snowfall, we fear it for another reason: "Acid Snow". 
          When the tiny flakes make our surroundings more than beautiful (see pictures below of my school campus grounds in December), a few (very few) of us in Korea go outside and dance in glee. Most of us stay inside, fearing a myriad of health implications we hear about. Occasionally the former but usually the latter, I would open my umbrella like the others during snowfall, gloomily thinking about the "good old days" when there was no such thing as acid snow. I would sigh and take comfort in capturing the little beauties in the pictures I take, sometimes thinking of solutions to minimize the acid snow impact on our health. 

         But what if I could go out without an umbrella, taste a snowflake melt instantly on my tongue, not caring about the pH levels of snow? What if I shouldn't be worried at all? What if all the purported consequences of getting in contact with it don't exist? 

        I started reading a book that was on the Recommended Books list at school: "Rainwater And You" by Professor Moo Young Han and Chang Rae Kang. The book jacket told me that it would correct all the misconceptions we have about acid rain - with a focus on Korea. This book's main point is that the concept of acid rain may be completely wrong and that we shouldn't fear rain so much. Since snow and rain are both precipitation, I thought that learning about rain would teach me about snow along the way. 
         I'm only about a third through the book, but I've already read some mind-boggling ideas that brought me both answers and questions. Firstly, Chapter 1 holds an interesting subtitle: "Being Acidic Doesn't Make it Bad". For example, orange juice's acidity is 100 times more acidic than acid rain's, with coke's as 500 times more. Even some shampoos or conditioners can be 100 times more acidic. By taking only this into consideration, the idea that acid rain causes baldness** would seem absurd, just like the book insists. To be honest, I

'Rainwater And You' By Professor Han
and Chang Rae Kang

felt that this was too weak a reason to use. Surely, most of us are aware that simply being acidic or alkaline doesn't make a substance toxic. We should NOT drink sodium hydroxide (NaOH) - an alkaline solution - but we can consume green leafy vegetables and fruits like watermelon*** - also alkaline foods. There can be a difference in the type of acidity between acid rain and orange juice, don't you think? I'll find out more about it and get back to you on this!
       One of the things I really found interesting was that acid rain cannot have harmful effects on the soil. According to Professor Han, the yellow dust that flew over to Korea for the past hundreds of years would neutralize any acid rain that falls. Although I had learned about the neutralization effect of yellow dust in Korean Geography class, I was not aware of its strength. I also didn't know that yellow dust could settle over land and remain. I will try to find more about it, and tell you the best I can!




       Updates to come soon-!
         
*http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/society/2014/02/14/0701000000AKR20140214068951062.HTML?template=5565
 **This idea is very popular in Korea; I'm under the impression that people in other countries have not even heard of this. Please tell me in the comments whether such a view exists where you live!
***http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/alkaline-foods.html