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Pollution Control Department (PCP) director general Supat Wangwongwattana announced the lab results yesterday. "It's clear that rainwater in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Bang Saphan district is not acidic," he said.

Fearing pollution, local residents complained to Natural Resource and Environment Minister Anongwan Thepsuthin that rainwater in their villages was yellow.

So rainwater was collected at Ban Don Samran and Ban Nong Ta Muang in Bang Saphan district.

"The rainwater specimens were at least 7.4 on pH scale," Supat said, explaining that this meant the rainwater was neutral and basic.

The PCD assigned Mahidol and Chulalongkorn universities to analyse rainwater specimens.

"Both institutes confirmed the yellow comes from pollen from many plant species such as sunflowers, palms and marigolds," Supat said.

He plans to submit a summary of the labresults to Anongwan and the Prachuap governor.

However, Mae Ramphueng Conservation Group vice president Supoj Songsiang said he would not accept the PCD's test results.

"I am not sure whether the specimens really come from Bang Saphan district," he said.

Supoj said local people planned to collect rainwater by themselves and to ask Chiang Mai University lecturers to examine them.

"We want the lab tests to determine whether the rainwater contains chemical leftovers from a steel plant," he said. Locals suspected a local steel plant had polluted their environment and rainwater.

Supoj said the Bang Saphan district had no big forest to produce enough yellow pollens to turn rainwater yellow. "Palm plantations are leeward of here [too]," he said.