Japanese officials warn residents
to avoid rain due to high levels of acidity
By Doug Huddy, Stars and
Stripes
Jason Carter / Stars and Stripes
A Japanese teen-ager commutes to school in the rain. Tokyo officials have been issuing
warnings to stay out of the rain, which has high acidity levels because of the recent
eruption of a volcano in western Japan. |
Japanese environmental officials are advising residents near Tokyo to
stay out of the rain because of high acidity levels.
Officials from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Bureau of
Environment are blaming the high acid levels on volcanic activity on Japan’s Miyake
Island about 113 miles south of Tokyo.
The Yokohama Environmental Science Research Institute Web site warns
“when the pH is lower than three, exposing the skin to the rain may cause
irritation.”
The volcanic activity leaves traces of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen
sulfide in the rain, said the officials.
The officials said the acidity measured in recent rainfall came to a
pH level of 3.3 — the same as vinegar.
In a phone interview, the Environment Bureau issued an advisory to
stay inside during rainfall.
Minoru Toyoshima, U.S. Forces, Japan spokesman, said USFJ has issued
no warning to the military residents in the affected areas.
“We would not know when acid rain might be falling, so we
can’t issue any advisory to it,” Toyoshima said.
The Yokohama institute says it is “unpredictable” how long
the high acidity may last.
According to the Environment Bureau, the lower the recorded figure,
the higher the acidity. The average rain pH level for 1999 was 4.7, 2000 was 4.5. A level
of 3.3 was recorded June 10. Neutral rain would have an acidity level of 7.
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