Neighboring Nations to Blame for Acid Rain in Taiwan
More than half of the acid rain that falls on Taiwan is the result of pollutants blown in from neighboring countries, according to a study released yesterday by the nation’s Environmental Protection Administration. Between January and July of this year, the average acidity of rain in Taiwan was 4.5 pH — just a little less acidic than vinegar. Algae cannot survive in water any more acidic than that, and fish start dying even before acidity reaches that level. (On the pH scale, the lower the number, the higher the acidity.) The report also found that the probability of acid rain falling at two new air-quality monitoring stations was 90 percent. About 85 percent of the airborne pollutants that cause the acid rain to fall come from the burning of fossil fuels in seven regions outside of Taiwan, including Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and parts of China.
