Guangzhou saw only acid rain in the first three months of the year, with average pH values of less than 4, mainland media reported yesterday.
Acid rain affected 15 of Guangdong's 21 major cities and polluted a dozen from January to March, the Southern Metropolis News reported. Guangzhou, Zhuhai , Shenzhen, Foshan and Dongguan were among the worst hit.
According to provincial meteorologists, the average pH level of rain, the measure of its acidity, was 3.8 in Guangzhou during the period. Rain with a pH level below 5.6 is regarded as acidic.
The report said acid rain caused the province annual losses of 4 billion yuan between 1996 and 2000.
Wu Dui , researcher at the Guangzhou Research Institute of Tropical Oceanic Meteorology, said acid rain had fallen more than 70 per cent of the time in Guangzhou since 2000. He said acid rain had affected agricultural output, construction materials and historical sites.
'Acid rain makes the acidity of the soil and water higher than usual,' he said. 'That will lead to the reduction of crop output and the death of animals in rivers and lakes.'