Melbourne's air; its weather & sickness

There is something crucial and potentially dangerous going on with Melbourne’s air; its weather and concurring widely reported sickness.

I’ll start with a puzzling observation that a number of individuals I've talked with about this have corroborated. That there is a somewhat bitter, salty type of taste noticed during moderate to heavy rainfall conditions around Melbourne - it is also noticed less often under certain non-rainfall conditions - a topic for a separate check-out? The strange substance with its unusual taste is experienced from many locations, its across the board, not a single part of Melbourne, nor do I think it restricted to a specific demographic such as age or gender. It is equally experienced in the open and inside buildings.

Whatever the substance causing this unusual taste sensation it is existent and a reality to Melbourne's air. It cannot be recalled as having existed in past years by anyone I’ve talked of this experience. The peculiar taste of this salty substance is a recent state of affairs, certainly present the past year I've been watching for certain and has become noticable to more people. The taste is not the kind of salty taste experienced near the ocean when large waves disperse spray into the local air.

Monitoring of rainfall periods when the substance can be tasted shows it coincidentally appears related to curious medical symptoms - that have their onset each time rain and taste substance come together. These symptoms occur in some who just brushed it off as something strange, without thinking what it could be? It exists with easy detection by anyone who's noticed the stuff; it is tasted on the lips and inside the mouth for about 12 hours. It produces an uncomfortable bitter taste that makes you want to wash the odd taste from their mouth, or at least run the tongue over the lips to reduce its discomfort. It also has a “stinging” sensation on sore lips or a cut inside the mouth. I'm guessing this substance making the taste is airborne during the entire window it is noticed, that the substance is not enduring by physical settlement and contact with the mouth and lips alone.

What is apparent from monitoring these goings on for almost a year is symptoms do happen when it rains and immediately after rainfall - especially heavy downpours. Whatever the stuff causing this problem, the material or chemical is likely subsequently breathed into the lungs, and we lack information of its potential harm to our respiratory system. I wonder if the feeling of “thin air” also felt in breathing means a restriction that is cumulative is taking place from this stuff?.

The physical reactions I sincerely hope are a temporary strike - it seems to effect the nervous system, would hate to think there's any permanent acruing impairment. Some say what I've found that it seems toeffect mental alertness. Producing feelings from a "woody" head to solid headaches, even mental incapacitation in few instances. By its ferocity able to lay you out for a while so you cannot function and must lay down. I've noticed in myself and watching others that short-term memory deficiency and minor disorientation is more than anecdotal - I can connect these periods with the taste of the bitter substance and an effect on recall, mental acuity and spatial capacity impairment during the rainstorms. It makes sense that physiological manifestations of compromised memory will be more intense if exposure to this strange substance is behind the problems.

An additional complaint is body aches and pains, general fatigue and muscle tiredness – a run down effect that has kept a few at home sick for several days. These are individuals, usually healthy - I cannot claim these people suspect any association to the stuff tasted in the air, as I haven't asked them to comment. But there seems to be a hell of a coincidence of corroboration with what I've been talking about with Melbourne's weather, the air and increased sickness?