Atmospheric Pollutants & Rainfall

Abstract

The gaseous pollutants comprising sulphur dioxide, ammonia, chlorine and nitrogen oxides and the particulate pollutants comprising ammonium and chloride were measured at Poona over three to four consecutive monsoon periods commencing from 1970. The contrasting activities of the monsoon in 1972 and 1973 afforded opportunity to examine the association, if any, between the various components of pollution and rainfall. Analysis of the data suggested that the gaseous components, sulphur dioxide and ammonia and the particulate components, ammonium and chloride may be associated with rainfall. Possible explanations have been offered for the features suggested.