The air always seems more refreshing after a rainstorm. That’s because raindrops condense around all the gunk in the sky—the dust, pollen, and pollution.
As rain falls, it condenses onto sulfur particles and takes them with it. The scrubbed air naturally smells cleaner.
Rain is also a mild, natural acid that can eat away at solid rock over time. But many of the chemicals humans have put in the air make rain dangerously acidic. Acid rain is a threat to plants, animals, and people. Today, though, it’s just one of the many challenges that come with precipitation.
