DC acid rain - twice experienced
 

I've ridden in two helacious rain-storms in the past 2 months commuting into and out of DC and noted that the rain really stings the eyes....and almost has a "salty" taste, which I assumed was due to the pH of the rain.

Anyone in the NE region experience this effect? I've noted it both times I've been caught out, and wondered what the specifics are.

Call NOAA. they have sampling data.

I'd guess clouds that originated over the Atlantic..

My guess is that the rain is washing salt from your face into your eyes. You get salt on your face from sweating. Rain water does not contain much salt, certainly not enough to sting your eyes. The acidity shouldn't bother your eyes either.

Yeah - the taste and stinging is certainly NOT solely from forehead sweat - I thought about that. The amount of bitterness you taste is far greater than what could be accounted for by sweating. Plus, my head doesn't sweat all that much - mostly my core.

Since rain water was originally composed of simply water (as evaporation doesn't carry salt with it) and picks up probably some ions and things during precipitation, I imagine it's possible that rain carried though the atmosphere in industrial WV or something could have things that would cause this irritation. But I'm not a meterologist.

Anyone out there one? ;).

That's what I thought too, since environmental folks aren't griping about acid rain anymore like they were in the 90's. That said, I've never tested rainwater pH in the region-- just surface water on the Potomac and Anacostia rivers (Water Quality division). Potomac (depending upon recent wet weather events) runs between 7.6 - 8.3, whereas Anacostia runs 7.2-7.7 usually. Neither being anything out of the ordinary for the region for our local geology.

I'm telling you, something in our rain burns like the dickens! --I just don't know what exactly it is.

acidity is marked by a sour taste, not a salty one.

+1.

Hey Turbine, FWIW, I live in the DC area and commute by bike every day, Maryland to DC. I've experienced the same rain and have had no problem with "acidity." Its been pretty hot and humid around here lately, my guess is sweat and salt, but what do I know.

I've never experienced it, other than stinging eyes from sweat from hair and helmet. Could be tannic acid from tree leaves or tree bark. Are you riding under trees when this occurs?

The only time I have had stinging in eyes is when the sweat has carried sunscreen from my forehead to my eyes. Now I am careful to keep the sunscreen to my lower face.

Acid rain looks, feels, and tastes just like clean rain....

says the EPA...

I've had similar stinging during a rain storm here in Edmonton, and while our air isn't necessarily clean, it's probably cleaner than in DC. I attributed it to salt and sweat from my head, possibly also a bit of shampoo residue?

I was caught in a rainstorm maybe a week or two ago now. I had to stop 4-5 times to rub my eyes. I got home and it looked like I was crying for a week straight since my eyes were so red. I attributed it to sweat, sunscreen, and possibly washing detergent (I wear a skull cap).

If it's not salt, it's sunscreen. Rainwater cleans the air. It would have to be incredible air pollution at the very beginning of a rainstorm to bother your eyes. Bad air pollution can cause your eyes to sting and water, but you don't get bad air pollution when it's raining. The rain quickly scours the pollution out of the air. (BTW, I work in the air quality field.)

Helmet? If it rains enough to soak my helmet pads, the resulting runoff is unbearably burny on my eyes. Sometimes, rarely, I might sweat enough to soak them, and when THAT drips, it's even worse.

Same thing happened to me a couple of months ago riding home from DC to Bethesda. Started raining and I had to stop several times because my eyes were stinging so badly I could no longer see. I guess it could have been sweat (wasn't wearing any sunscreen), but I don't recall ever experiencing that degree of stinging merely from sweat in my eyes. My gut reaction at the time was the same as the original poster - that it was something having to do with the rain (pollutants, pH, etc.).

Walking along the Gulf down here, if I saw someone with vials in the water taking samples and they were NOT part of NOAA, I'd be like:

"Hey mate, whatcha doing?"
-------------------------->Taking water samples for pH balance
"Um.....why?"
--------------------------->Cause rain tasted salty
"Check please."


Just a funny visual imho. You had to be very bored to actually water-quality test for sampling purposes. I suggest a dog, girlfriend or secondary-hobby:p

I'm glad we figured that out before I had to chime in. The science-geek is me was going crazy reading those posts. Acids don't start stinging your eyes until wayyy past the acidity of acid rain. I work with 6N HCL, and that'll sting your skin like crazy, dissolve contacts, but actually doesn't sting yours eyes very much because the saline buffers (which is what it's naturally supposed to do).

Also, acid rain isn't only from industry, it was happening way before human civilization. Volcanic activity accounts for a lot of acid rain.

No doubt, that's a good point. I wouldn't generally consider myself a crazy-idiot or anything.......that's kind of why I posted - to get some ideas. I simply didn't consider it because I used to not ride in the rain...that's all. Plus, I don't really put sunscreen on my forehead because I wear a wide-brim hat outside. Maybe it runs around my head due to gravity and some mysterious wicking-force created at the interface of helmet-and-skull. Live and learn ;).

Good deal - I work with ambient water quality in DC....we probably do some similar things out there. I must be getting a lot dumber since getting out of school in 2008 - since I basically just ride around on a boat collecting water samples and maintaining probes. I can recall just about every quote from the Simpsons seasons 2-8, but my science knowledge is slipping ;0.

No, I wouldn't carry around vials if I weren't getting paid for it ;). I am indeed married, but am more of a cat-person than dog-person.