A Statewide Screening For Acid Rainfall In Iowa

Authors

Jack O. Kennedy, University of IowaFollow
Andrew E. Granston, University of Iowa
Roger C. Splinter, University of Iowa

Document Type

Research

Keywords

Iowa, acid rainfall, pH values, National Weather Service

Abstract

From April through October 1980, a statewide screening for acid rainfall was conducted in Iowa. Ninety-seven National Weather Service observers were provided with pH color-indicating strips and measured and recorded the pH of every precipitation sample. Results of the screening indicate pH values of rainfall ranged from a low of 4.0 to a high of 7.0. The pH values 5.7 and 5.9 were observed most often and represented 66% of the 4,197 values measured. Approximately 80% of the rainfall pH values fell in the 5.7 to 7.0 range and 20% in the acid rainfall range (5.6 or less). Median pH values calculated for the 97 sampling locations ranged from 5.1 to 6.2, with medians of 5.7 and 5.9 occurring most frequently. With the exception of one 3-county area, most of the 11 sampling locations demonstrating acid rainfall (median values 5.6 or less) were widely separated and probably represented localized problems. Three adjacent counties located in southeast Iowa had low median pH values and this area is recommended for future study.

Publication Date

June 1983

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

90

Issue

2

First Page

41

Last Page

43

Copyright

©1983 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Kennedy, Jack O.; Granston, Andrew E.; and Splinter, Roger C. (1983) "A Statewide Screening For Acid Rainfall In Iowa," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 90(2), 41-43.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol90/iss2/3