Artificial Rainfall System and Soil Pollution

Sangwook Ahn

Soil pollution is a serious challenge that can cause health hazards to people and animals. Human activities such as improper disposal of hazardous and urban waste, industrial processes, mining, military actions, armed conflicts, and unsustainable agricultural practices have left polluted soils worldwide, resulting in environmental damage. Agriculture, mining, transport, and energy generation are sources of soil pollution, with pesticides and chemical fertilizers the most significant contributors of soil contamination.

Most people are aware of the causes of soil pollution listed above. However few people know that artificial rainfall systems can cause soil pollution.

Usually, Silver Iodide (AgI) is used as a condensation nucleus for artificial rainfall, but it can cause serious problems to the ecosystem of soil, freshwater, seawater, and the underground. The evaporation process of moisture in the soil was delayed due to AgI which eventually caused problems in the water cycle of the soil. In addition, AgI reduced the number and types of bacteria in the soil. Soil bacteria are important entities responsible for the production of substances and the circulation of organic matter as decomposers in the soil. The decrease in the number of bacteria by AgI suggests that Agl can cause serious problems to the ecosystem of the soil.

Artificial rainfall is the latest weather control technology that can alleviate the problem of water scarcity. Therefore, there is no doubt that artificial weather control such as artificial rainfall will be used as a tool for environmental improvement in the near future. As AgI can cause problems to the ecosystem of soil, eco-friendly solutions must be used as condensation nuclei and for cloud seeding.