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posted by
martyb
on Tuesday November 22 2016, @08:41AM
from the what-acid-rain-feels-like-for-fish? dept.
from the what-acid-rain-feels-like-for-fish? dept.
In December 1952, a dense fog fell over London that lasted roughly four days, dropping visibility and making it hard to breathe. At the time, residents paid little attention to the strange event, writing it off as just another natural fog, but once it lifted, people started dying.
The event – referred to as the Great Smog – led to the death of roughly 12,000 people, and the hospitalisation of up to 150,000. But how could something like this happen?
[...] Nw [sic], over 60 years later, an international team of researchers might have finally figured it out, as part of an investigation into China's modern air pollution issues.
The answer is actually pretty terrifying – it turns out people were breathing in the fog equivalent of acid rain.
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Scientists Have Figured Out Why London Fog Killed 12,000 People
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New crypt. See /usr/news/crypt.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 22 2016, @12:23PM
Chemical reaction can occur in smog to make airborne acid. Like whoa, dude bro.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by taylormc on Tuesday November 22 2016, @03:02PM
Not as well understood 60 years ago.
FWIW, I still suffer with the consequences.
(Score: 3, Informative) by butthurt on Tuesday November 22 2016, @04:19PM
already well-known:
SO2 + H2O = H2SO3
new (I'm guessing from "oxidation of SO2 by NO2"):
SO2 + NO2 = SO3 + NO
SO3 + H2O = H2SO4
H2SO4 (sulphuric acid) is more damaging than H2SO3 (sulphurous acid)