AFAIK it ends up on the ground, and in the ground water. Which means that it could contaminate drinking water if it's not treated properly. It will enter rivers and lakes, and snow and everywhere else that water gets.
this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2024
36 points (100.0% liked)
Ask Science
8356 readers
1 users here now
Ask a science question, get a science answer.
Community Rules
Rule 1: Be respectful and inclusive.
Treat others with respect, and maintain a positive atmosphere.
Rule 2: No harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or trolling.
Avoid any form of harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or offensive behavior.
Rule 3: Engage in constructive discussions.
Contribute to meaningful and constructive discussions that enhance scientific understanding.
Rule 4: No AI-generated answers.
Strictly prohibit the use of AI-generated answers. Providing answers generated by AI systems is not allowed and may result in a ban.
Rule 5: Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
Adhere to community guidelines and comply with instructions given by moderators.
Rule 6: Use appropriate language and tone.
Communicate using suitable language and maintain a professional and respectful tone.
Rule 7: Report violations.
Report any violations of the community rules to the moderators for appropriate action.
Rule 8: Foster a continuous learning environment.
Encourage a continuous learning environment where members can share knowledge and engage in scientific discussions.
Rule 9: Source required for answers.
Provide credible sources for answers. Failure to include a source may result in the removal of the answer to ensure information reliability.
By adhering to these rules, we create a welcoming and informative environment where science-related questions receive accurate and credible answers. Thank you for your cooperation in making the Ask Science community a valuable resource for scientific knowledge.
We retain the discretion to modify the rules as we deem necessary.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
Yup. Raindrops originate from water vapor collecting around a particle in the air. When the rain falls, it pulls those air pollutants to the ground, where they either enter the ground or run down to rivers, lakes,, or the ocean.
So pollution does indeed bind with water and gets carried around. I wonder how well chlorine helps destroy or clean such filth
The rain that is falling today doesn't end up in drinking water for a good while, depending on where you are. In the meantime it gets filtered by the soil it flows through.
On top of that not everything that's unhealthy to breathe is unhealthy to eat/drink. Think about coal dust for example, very bad for your lungs but also a common medicine against diarrhea when compressed into a pill.
Just to give some perspective and lift you up a bit ;)
It doesn't. If anything, adding something as reactive as chlorine to pollution would only make it worse.
So we're doomed, or rather, I am. Well, theoretically speaking we're all doomed, but it would be pleasant to last as long and healthy as possible
This varries alot depending on where you live.
Normally it's like this.
First it goes into the water, then it goes to the ground, which normally filters it very well. BUT if this is generally a polluted area, and also depending on the composition of the earth, it may not filter it at all. We assume that there's some filtering though.
Now it gets really country-dependent. Some countries filter the tap water very well, some adds chlorine to 'cleanse' it, and some may not do a very good job entirely.
I'm no expert in which countries around the world do what, but it's probably something you can look up for your area.
Generally though, it's worse for you to inhale (unless the water is just polluted in other ways)
Thanks! You're right that I wasn't thinking about chlorine which does get added to the water where I live. I suppose that doesn't entirely kill all germs and pollution going into the water, but it helps getting rid of it.
Also, yeah. When I am out breathing pollution, it feels really bad for me
It would logically have to end up on the ground. If it gets into the water would have to do with solubility, and most combustion products aren't very soluble, so you're probably not drinking too much smog.
I don't actually know where they ultimately end up and to what degree they can make you sick except through inhalation. Somebody has to have studied it, though, right?
Ah, interesting. I should hope not all pollutants dissolve into water, but I wonder: wouldn't they still be bad when ingested even if not dissolved into water?
Yes, probably. If they're trapped in urban dirt, and you don't snack on sod from a lane divider often you shouldn't have to worry about it, though.
Just a non-scientifc opinion: I think it binds to the rain/the humidity and does go into the ground, yes. Depending on where your water comes from, it might not seep into that, I think. And stuff in your lungs may be worse than the same stuff in your stomach, depending on the stuff, I guess.
What I really came to say: the only long term solution is guillotines
I suppose guillotines help in a variety of situations, though I would have not imagined them as an extreme way of filtering the lack of actions by politicians and corporations towards the environment 🤔