Microplastics and Forever Chemicals Are Falling From the Sky: What’s Happening?

In the not-so-distant American past, specifically from the 1970s to the mid-1990s, acid rain was a significant environmental concern. This phenomenon, caused by emissions from coal-fired power plants and automobile exhaust, had devastating effects on wildlife and vegetation.

During this period, there was a notable bipartisan effort in politics. Republicans and Democrats alike recognized the importance of environmental conservation, understanding that the health of our ecosystem directly impacts human well-being.

It may seem like a tale from a bygone era, but there was a time when American lawmakers heeded scientific advice about ecological threats and took decisive action to counter them.

One of the major steps taken was the implementation of strict emission regulations that significantly mitigated the issue of acid rain. Contrastingly, recent actions such as those by the Trump administration have seen a rollback of many environmental protections, including those related to emissions from power plants and vehicles.

Indeed, the times have shifted, and not for the better.

Modern Rain: A Cocktail of Microplastics and Persistent Chemicals

While the issue of acid rain has largely been addressed, a new environmental challenge has emerged. Recent studies, as reported by Vox, indicate that rainwater is now contaminated with microplastics and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

Microplastics have become a pervasive problem, infiltrating every nook and cranny of our environment, even reaching remote caves long isolated from human contact. These tiny plastic particles from our oceans and roadways rise into the atmosphere and eventually fall as precipitation, depositing over 1,000 metric tons of plastic in U.S. national parks annually. To visualize, imagine a deluge of millions of plastic water bottles.

The situation grows grimmer with the addition of PFAS, known colloquially as ‘Forever Chemicals’, due to their persistence in the environment. These chemicals are ubiquitous, found in products ranging from non-stick cookware to water-resistant clothing and even in personal care items like dental floss and nail polish. The complete list of PFAS-containing products is virtually endless.

Efforts have been made to legislate against the use of these persistent chemicals, but the battle is ongoing. For example, a recent study revealed that rainwater in South Florida contains high levels of PFAS, including types that had not been used in the U.S. for years due to health risks.

While the reduction in emissions helped curb acid rain, eliminating microplastics and forever chemicals from our environment presents a much tougher challenge. These pollutants continue to accumulate, and the previous concerns about acid rain now seem relatively minor in comparison.

What we need now is a catchy term that encapsulates the new face of rain pollution — something as memorable as ‘acid rain’. What should we call it? Plastic rain? Chemical rain? Toxic rain? Corporate rain? Killer rain? Poison rain? These are just some ideas, but perhaps you can think of something even more fitting. Remember, effectively communicating the problem is the first step towards solving it.