Basic precipitation

Basic precipitation occurs when either calcium oxide or sodium hydroxide is emitted into the atmosphere, absorbed by water droplets in clouds, and then falls as rain, snow, or sleet. Precipitation containing these compounds can increase the pH of soil or bodies of water and lead to increased fungal growth.

The principal cause of basic rain is emissions from factories and waste deposits. Mineral dust containing large amounts of alkaline compounds such as calcium carbonate can also increase the pH of precipitation and contribute to basic rain.^[1] Basic rain can be viewed as opposite to acid rain. Acid rain has posed a serious threat to numerous ecosystems surrounding rivers, lakes and forests.^[2]

Alkaline precipitation in India

Due to the increased usage of soil derived aerosols in India alkaline precipitation has become a distinct phenomenon. Typically in industrialized areas such as India the rain will be acidic. The usage of soil-derived aerosols that are calcium rich, causing the atmosphere here to be basic, or alkaline, instead. ^[3] Rain water was sampled over the period of a decade starting in the year 1974 in Pune, which is a city near the coast that is pretty well free of industrial pollution. The rainwater (save nearest the industrial complex) was all tested to be basic and having an abundance of calcium cations. This brings attention to the fact that the aerosol is spreading and causing this increase in alkaline precipitation. ^[4] If no action is taken against these calcium derived aerosols then there could be detrimental damage done to the environment.

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