Did acid rains fall out on Belarus?

Belarusians want to know the true affects of the phosphorous cloud produced by the blaze after a cargo train accident in Ukraine’s Lviv region. Initially, Belarus’s Hydrometeorological Service forecasted some acid rains, for instance, in the Homel region that neighbors Ukraine. The European Radio for Belarus explores whether our territory was affected by the toxic cloud after showers and thunderstorms poured on Belarus several days ago.

Alexander Apatski, Belarus’s first deputy minister for natural resources and environment protection, assured us that the burning phosphorous products posed no threat to this country. The accident could leave behind dangerous affects only for the Lviv region and some areas in close proximity to the accident site, he said. Belarus was on high alert since the accident trying to monitor the movement of the cloud but has recently scaled down the effort.

Apatski: “We are looking into possibilities of how to reduce alert level in order to avoid big spending. We are working round o’clock to make water and air tests. Additionally, we would permanently have a helicopter airborne to monitor the situation. Presently, we do think it is necessary. Concentration of toxics has never been registered higher than normal. This is not an emergency because toxic levels could sometimes be found higher than normal around industrial enterprises”.

The rains that contain certain percent of hazardous substances have become a norm, the European Radio for Belarus has learned. Jaugen Labanau, a chemical safety expert, gives his account about how often acid rains fall out on Belarus.

Labanau: “Frankly speaking, I have never heard about any serious acid rains falling out on Belarus. But they could definitely take place because there is a huge amount of sulfur oxide, nitric oxide and phosphorous oxide being emitted.

In the first place, I am talking about cars. Secondly, petrochemical factories are another major source. But I would not describe rains as the acid rains that cover a huge territory with an average concentration. No doubt they produce some affects on us.”

Anatol Rabau, an official from the National Hyrdometeorological Service, says that conducive weather saved us this time.

Rabau: “We were lucky that initially wind was calm. Then, rains showered on the territory of Ukraine. So everything was in favor of Belarus, so to say (laughs)”.

Acid rains, whether they are intense or not, do harm to the soil and human organisms. To humans, they are dangerous because they can cause chemical burns or more aggravated consequences when they get into eyes. If this happens to you, chemical expert Jaugen Labanau advises:

“You need to rinse the affected area with an alkali solution, e.g. carbonated soda in order to neutralize the acid.”