After Diwali, the air quality in Delhi-NCR has become so bad that the government has decided to make artificial rain. Cloud seeding technology will now provide unseasonal rain. Some chemicals are also used for this artificial rain. Therefore, it is important to know whether to step out of the house during artificial rain or not. Can coming in contact with this rain water harm our skin? According to a report on climate change, artificial rainfall is a scientific weather modification technique. Silver iodide is used to increase water supply in arid areas and induce unseasonal rainfall to combat drought.
What chemicals are used?
Cloud seeding involves adding silver iodide particles to clouds to create rain-like conditions through condensation. Although this technology has been in use for decades, artificial rainfall has recently become popular due to increasing water scarcity and climate-related problems.
What is silver iodide?
Silver iodide is a chemical compound made of silver and iodine. It is used in agricultural pesticides, as an antiseptic in medicines, for cloud seeding, and in photography. It is also used in the manufacture of some types of glass and is sometimes found in some air pollution control devices. AgI is slightly soluble in water and is more toxic than silver.
Is silver iodide harmful to humans?
Silver iodide (AgI) is considered to be the most common nucleating substance used in cloud seeding. Several studies have concluded that the amount of AgI is too low to cause toxic effects because it persists for so short a time in soils and sediments. The question often arises whether silver iodide used in artificial rainfall can have adverse effects on humans. Should one avoid going out of the house during such rains? To understand its implications, we spoke to Mahendra Agarwal, director of IIT Kanpur and cloud seeding expert.
It has no adverse effects on humans
Mahendra Aggarwal said that people do not face any problem in coming out of their homes during artificial rain. Even if someone comes in contact with this rain water, it will not cause any harm as it is used in very small quantities. Regarding silver iodide, he said that it is important to first understand what quantity of it can be harmful. Since very small amounts of this chemical are used for cloud seeding, it has no harmful effects on humans or anything else.
