Acid rain caution for Christchurch

Press, 11 February 1983, Page 7

Acid rain caution for Christchurch

Christchurch’s weather could make the city a target for acid rain, according to a visiting American expert. "Measure it." is the motto of Professor James Robinson. whose two years work at Louisiana State University measuring acid rain, has made him a world authority on its chemical analysis.

He is on a two-week speaking tour of New Zealand before teaching for a semester in Australia.

The phenomenon that was causing such public concern in the United States did not seem a threat in New Zealand. but acid rain could come from many sources, even hundreds of kilometres

distant, he said. Christchurch, with its winter smog, sounded as if it had the conditions for a build-up of atmospheric acids between rainfalls.

Judging from the popularity of his topic among New Zealand chemists. Professor Robinson said, monitoring was likely to start soon. "Thev must be somewhat concerned because they asked to hear talks on the subject." he said.

Natural sources of sulphuric fumes, such as the North Island geothermal areas, could already be generating high levels of acid rain.

“If it is not a problem, you can feel pleased about it,"’ he said. "But it is better to get data than argue about it."

The United States and Canada were each blaming the other's industrial areas for acid rain.

The burning of fuel in homes and factories released acids into the atmoshphere where they were absorbed by rain. Rivers had some natural buffers such as decomposing vegetation, but iff acid rain persisted it started to kill fish and plant life. "The bad thing is that if acid rain persists, fish cannot breed." he said. Already there were about 350 "dead" lakes in Canada and the north-east of the United States. "The lakes look beautiful when they are dead because the water is very clear. Professor Robinson said. They could take 20 to 30 vears to recover.