Raindrops Carry Electrical Charges, Study Finds

3:02 PM ETDeveloping

Science Desk

In Short: A new study reveals that raindrops carry electrical charges large enough to damage protective coatings on surfaces, potentially explaining why rain corrodes cars.

Raindrops are not just water; they are tiny lightning bolts, according to a new study. The research, led by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany, has shown that water drops routinely arrive at a surface carrying an electrical charge large enough to punch through an insulating coating. This finding explains why rain can corrode cars and other surfaces, as the electrical charge in raindrops can bypass protective coatings, leading to corrosion over time.

The standard explanation for rain corrosion is that water carries dissolved salts and acids, and the constant drumming of raindrops abrades protective coatings, allowing oxygen to do the rest. However, the new study led by Zhongyuan Ni, Rüdiger Berger, and Hans-Jürgen Butt, has shown that the electrical charge in raindrops can directly contribute to the corrosion process.

The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, quantifies the phenomenon of 'slide electrification,' which has only been properly understood in recent years. The researchers used a technique called intracellular recording to measure the electrical responses of individual photoreceptors in four bee species and both sexes of each. The reason behind this electrical charge seems to be related to the movement of energy-producing structures called mitochondria through nerve cells.

The findings of the study could have implications beyond just corrosion. According to reports, the study could also help in understanding how to prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, a condition that affects about two-thirds of patients who receive chemotherapy. A team of doctors and researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that lab mice given two doses of psilocybin before receiving chemotherapy were shielded from nerve damage, with protection lasting for eight months.

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Ars Technicalink