Claim
If you are in the states of Ohio or Pennsylvania, please do not go outside while it’s raining! We’re getting reports of third-degree burns from what is suspected to be from acid rain. STAY INDOORS!
#Ohio #Pennsylvania #OhioTrainDisaster #EastPalestineOH #trainderailment
Rating
Explanation
A set of images purportedly showing injured hand and leg are being shared with a warning for people in Ohio or Pennsylvania to stay indoors claiming that third-degree burns are caused by acid rain. Some of the posts with such a claim can be seen here and here.
What is the truth?
When reverse-searching the images it is found that both images are old and unrelated. The first image is found posted around 11 years back on the Reddit webpage with the caption “Volunteered to be a victim for training today, they did a decent job…[Fake blisters]”.
The second viral image is found in the thumbnail of the CBS News article but is found missing inside the article. This article mentions hookworm infection and how to prevent and treat it.
With further search, the viral image is found in a FOX News article dated July 2018 mentioning the image as an example of hookworm rash. The image is credited to Kelli Mullhollen Dumas. Another news article from ABC Action News is found mentioning that Kelli Mullhollen’s son Michael Dumas contracted hookworms while on the beach in Florida.
Is acid rain acidic enough to burn skin?
It is mentioned in multiple reports that “Very strong acids will burn if they touch your skin and can even destroy metals. Acid rain is much, much weaker than this, never acidic enough to burn your skin”. Some of the reports can be seen here and here.
Conclusion
It is found that old and unrelated images are falsely shared to claim that they are third-degree burns from acid rain in Ohio.
