Rainwater is indeed a refreshing type of water and it’s safe to use in certain activities. It’s said to be safe because rainwater is harmless kind of water. Even in agriculture or plantations, the water needed for the plants is always filled by rainwater in every rainy season. Because of that, the plants are fertilized and the soil becomes loose.
But there are also several human activities that cannot use rainwater (read more : 7 Utilizations of Water Resource in Human Life). Why can’t you use rainwater? The reason is because rainwater contains several substances that aren’t good for human activities mentioned above. The substances of rainwater include natural chemical substances. Some of these are 5 chemicals of rainwater and the effects, include the following:
- Water Vapor or H2O
The main content found in rainwater is water vapor or H2O. Water vapor content is the most dominant with percentage of 99.9% and the rest depends on the atmospheric layer passed through. We already know about the rain cycle. How rains occur from the beginning to fall down to earth and even back to rain again. In the process of rain, there is one stage known as evaporation from water sources on Earth. Well, evaporation is the one that carries water vapor and forms small clouds. The clouds are then carried by the wind and clot into large clouds.
These large clouds will later experience saturation to reduce its water to earth. Actually these clouds contain water vapor, so water vapor is the forerunner of rain process. This water vapor is safe as long as the vapor comes from water resource on earth that are safe for humans as well. The water vapor also varies depending on the water source. Water vapor itself is still within safe limits, when it hits the body.
- Carbon (silica and fly ash in the form of light ash)
Rainwater also contains carbon. The carbon contained in rainwater is silica and also fly ash. We need to know that silica and also fly ash are dust substances that bind molecules in water to form rain. This rain comes from the precipitation process, which is the process of binding many molecules on the surface of other molecules to form molecules that are centered on foreign molecules. In fact, silica and also fly ash is a substance that plays a role in the process of rain and even its role becomes very important and dominant. Excessive carbon content will cause pollution.
Further Read : Characteristics of 6 Types Clouds That Make Rain
- Nitric acid
The next chemical in rainwater is nitric acid. Nitric acid is included as one of 5 chemicals of rainwater and the effects. We’ve heard about the occurrence of acid rain. Acid rain is rain that occurs due to pollution by factories that are dirty or from volcanic eruptions. Excessive nitric acid content is bad and can be dangerous. The acid content can also be expressed in pH. Normal rainwater has a pH of 6, while acid rain has a pH below normal, which is around 5,7 and below. Excessive acid content can cause iron to rust and respiratory problems in humans.
- Sulfuric acid
In addition to nitric acid, the content of other acids in rainwater is sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is a substance contained in rain water and if excessive it will cause interference with human breathing.
- Salt
The content of the next substance in rainwater is salt. As we all know that salt comes from seawater which tastes salty. That’s why salt also tastes salty. Actually the salt content in rainwater is relative. Rainwater that contains a lot of salt content comes from rain that occurs in coastal areas. This is because the process of rain in the coast due to the evaporation of sea water heated by sunlight.
Sea water containing salt will evaporate and the water vapor will also contain salt. Excessive salt content in the rain will cause the iron to rust quickly and accelerate the corrosion process. Meanwhile, excessive salt content when exposed to the skin will cause dull and unfavorable conditions.
Read More : 14 Reasons Why Sea Water Is Salty
Well, those are 5 chemicals of rainwater and the effects. The substances mentioned above are not permanent in every rainwater with the same level. The content of substances in rainwater depends on the state of the atmosphere in each region or region of the occurrence of the rain. For example in coastal areas will contain salt with high levels, and in industrial areas rain will contain more acid than in industrial areas. So it can be concluded that the content of substances in rainwater varies in each region.