Robert Angus Smith (February 15, 1817–May 12, 1884) was a Scottish chemist, who investigated numerous environmental issues. He is famous for his research on air pollution in 1852, in the course of which he discovered and coined the term acid rain.
Born Pollokshaws, Glasgow, Smith was educated at the University of Glasgow in preparation for ministry in the Church of Scotland but left before graduating. He worked as a personal tutor and, accompanying a family to Giessen in 1839, he stayed on in Germany to study chemistry under Justus von Liebig, earning a Ph.D. in 1841.
On returning to England the same year, he again considered Holy Orders but instead was attracted to Manchester to join the chemical laboratory of Lyon Playfair at the Manchester Royal Institution. Here he became involved in some of the environmental issues of the world's first industrial city (see History of Manchester). Playfair left for greener pastures in 1845 and Smith worked at making a living as an independent analytical chemist. After some initial alarming experiences, Smith refused to take on expert witness work which was a staple of consulting scientists of the day and which he saw as corrupt. Consequently, when the Alkali Inspectorate was established by the Alkali Act 1863 , Smith's integrity made him the natural candidate. He held the post until his death.
In 1872 Smith published the book Air and Rain, which presents his studies of the chemistry of atmospheric precipitation.
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