Acid rain in Bandung

Acid rain in Bandung

From Pikiran Rakyat

The public has become aware from the media and by hearsay of the influence of acid rain on health. I have the following opinion:

1. Based on observations facts show that the acid level of rain water in Bandung is on the increase, i.e. the acidity (pH) of rain water has reached a level that points to acid rain. Another fact is the increase in cases of illness known to be caused by the rainy season, i.e. coughs and cold.

2. I understand that the two facts are interconnected. I am convinced that research on the two facts will find a consistent correlation, i.e. that if there is an increase in acid rain, cases of illness will also increase and vice versa. However, the relation is not necessarily a matter of cause and effect. It is not certain that acid rain is the cause of an increase in cases of disease as a result of the rainy season.

3. If so, why does acid rain and the increase of illnesses as a result of the onset of rain happen simultaneously? The answer is that the two phenomena occur due to the same problem, which is air pollution. Air pollution gases are dissolved and washed in rain and decrease the acid content of rain water.

Gas pollutants give rise to disturbances in health, coughs and reduce the body's resistance so people easily become ill. The factor of changes in the daily climate also plays a role. Big changes of temperature from hour to hour in one day influence the body's resistance. Separately, the temperature and the speed of wind also affect the concentration and spread of pollutant gases.

4. The above may be a sufficient explanation that air pollution, strengthened by a climate factor (temperature, speed and wind direction) is the cause of acid rain and an increase in health problems. So, we are becoming more concerned about what and how much pollutant gas we breathe from our vehicles' exhausts and from industrial activities.

ANDRIA SUKOWATI

Bandung, West Java