A study of rainwater acidity in Greater Manchester and Greater lisbon

Summary This paper presents data from an educational study of acid rain in Greater Manchester, UK, and Greater Lisbon and Setúbal, Portugal, which was carried out between October and December, 1989. A simple, specified methodology was employed by ten schools in each of the two countries to generate reliable, comparative rainfall acidity data. The results have been described and related to emission sources and meteorological conditions over the three-month experimental period. It is apparent that there are considerable differences in rainfall quantity and quality in the two contrasting areas, and the results are broadly consistent with those derived from the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme. The paper concludes with a short review of rainfall acidity in the UK and Portugal.Sue Hare and Dr James W.S. Longhurst are respectively Education Officer and Director of the Acid Rain Information Centre, Department of Environmental and Geographical Studies at Manchester Polytechnic. Mr A. Marques da Costa is a teacher in the Chemistry Department at the Colégio Militar, Largo da Luz, 1600 Lisboa, Portugal.