^ „ 52 ■ 1 ^ Herald & Lantern ? May '84

South Jersey Rain Moderately Acidic

Results gathered from an acid rain monitor, stationed at Ancora State Hqspital, has shown South Jersey rainfall to be primarily moderately • acidic over the past four months, as defined by the Chest and Health Association of Southern New Jersey's Acid Rain Communications Committee. ■"You've heard a lot about acid rain, but fewpeople know exactly what it is, and what, if any, effect. it has op our South Jersey environment." says Bob Smith, chairman of the cornptfttee and Gloucester Cdtfnty Health Department director. The Acid4 Rain Communications Committee has taken on the challenge of answering the many questions surrounding the acid rain ^itroversy. AMONG THOSE who make up the committee are Smith. Alice Gitchell of the Atlantic County Health — Department. MorganaMorris of Atlantic Electric,

Gene Mateson of Mateson Chemical Corp., and Jo Ann Held of the NjAv Jersey De part men t\of Environmental Protection. Acid precipitation can be caused by sulfur dioxide (SO) and oxides of nitrogen (NO and NO2) gases, along ■ with other pollutants being emitted into the atmosphere from automotive sources, tall stacks from power plants, etc. These pollutants interact chemically with sunlight, mositure. oxidants and catalysts, changing the pollutants into sulfuric and nitric acids. Their ' flight" from place of origin can last for days and take them hundreds of thousands of miles from the original source. To help determine exactly \how acidic rain is in our arSST the Chest and Health Association was recently asked to* participate in the acid rain monitor project sponsored by the state DEP. The project is being financed by a grant from

the government agency and funds raised through this year's Chest and , Health Association "Celebration Seals" Campaign. THE ACID WILL even tually return to earth in some form of precipitation.

whether it be rain, snow, sleet, dew. or even fog. The independent lung health agency was asked to participate in the project because Njf the health agency's-' environmental work when itfwas a member of the American

AERIAL THREAT — Acid rain poses a threat to everyone in shaded area of map. The darker the shade, the worse the threat.

Lung Association. In addition, the Chest and Health Association continues as a member of the Delaware Valley Clean Air Council and is experienced in interpreting scientific data and

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Acid Rain A Problem Constant washings of acid rain erode the surfaces of many buildings, gravestones, works of art and automobiles in North America and elsewhere in the world. Architectural structures such as the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the Parliament , Buildings in Ottawa, Canada, the Acropolis in Athens and the Colosseum in Rome, as well as India's Taj Mahal, show the effects of acid rain. The threat of acid rain, however, is believed to be far more devastating than simply marring national monuments. Experts call it a social, ecological and economic problem — perhaps one of the most serious the world has ever faced. WATCHING THE rain drop gently onto a remote lake a thousand miles from the nearest industrial center, it may be difficult to accept that what has just fallen is slowly killing most of the life within that innocent body of water. Already in the U.S. and Canada, over a thousand rivers and lakes are "dead" — no longer able to support fish and plant populations Acid rain's insidious effects. it's believed, result primarily from industrial combustion It threatens ^forests, crops and soils, erodes buildings and automobile surfaces and. many believe, is a danger to human health. 4 AS THE MAP INDICATES, most of the North American continent east of the Mississippi suffers from acid rain. "Hotspots" in the Adironjfack and Appalachian mountain areas record the pH of rain around four. 'Natural rainfall has a pH of 5.6.) Values below that indicate progressively greater acidity with a tenpold difference between one number and the next. That means if the pH drops from 5.6 to 4 6, the acidity is ten times greater. If it drops from 5.6 to 3.6, it is one hundred times greater. Rain that is 10 to 40 times as acidic as normal has been occurring frequently in many parts of New England. New York and eastern Canada. The average pH of rainfall over substantial portions of the Northeast is 4.3. Highly acidic rainfall has also been observed in a number of Southeastern states, particularly Florida, Virginia, Texas • and North Carolina. The Northern Plain states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the Colorado Rockies are similarly affected. Who is threatened by acid rain? Everyone, either directly or indirectly. say the scientists and environmental experts who are calling for public action to stem the problem.

communicating this information to the general public, keeping people informed of environmental issues. The monitor, based at Ancora State Hospital, is the second government sponsored monitor of its kind in South Jefis^y^ Atlantic Electric, based in Pleasantville, has its own acid rain monitor stationed I in Millville, also sponsored 1 by NJDEP. Smith explained that acidity is expressed in units called pH levels. These pH levels can be compared to natural substances found in nature. For example, during a rain or snowfall the pH level can be slight. This can be compared to the acidity of milk. During another rain or ^ snow fall, the acidity may be more intense. A comparison to this would be the acidity of lemon juice. Both monitors allow chemists to analyze rainfall on a weekly basis to determine the rain's level of acidity. SMITH WENT on to explain, in greater detail, the acid rain scaie set forth by the committee. The scale is broken into three segments; mildly acidic, having a pH of 4.65 and above; moderately acidic, having a pH between 3.7 and 4.6. and strongly acidic, having a pH below 3.65. Since the . monitor has been :n operation, eighteen weekly samples have been analyzed. Eleven of these samples had a pH value falling in the moderately acidic range and seven had a pH value falling in the mildly acidic range. The committee plans to continue their work bydisclosing acid rain monitor findings on a quarterly basis.

Subpoena Powers To Panel * WASHINGTON, D C - The House Crime Subcommittee, chaired by Rep Bill Hughes (D-NJ). has completed action 6n legislation to grant subpoena and other powers to the President's Commission on Organized Crime. "For decades, organized crime has eaten away at the fabric of our society, remaining behind a veil of secrecy and violence. The resolution we approved today gives the President's Commission on Organized Crime the tools to break through that veifcrf secrecy, and violence," Hughes said. House Joint Resdlution 490 authorizes the commission to compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses, the production of information and gives the commission access to the records of goyernment agencies. "Without the authority to subpoena witnesses to testify and provide information about tlte activities of organized crime, the hands of the President's Organized Criniflt^mmmission are tied. 1