Volcanic ash and respiratory symptoms in children on the island of Montserrat, British West Indies (original) (raw)
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Exposure to Volcanic Ash on Montserrat, British West Indies
Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 2002
The volcanic eruption on Montserrat has deposited ash on the island since 1995. The ash contains the crystalline silica mineral cristobalite, and there is concern about a possible silicosis risk. Measurements of the islanders' exposure to the ash and cristobalite have been made since 1996. The islanders with the greatest exposure to airborne ash and cristobalite are gardeners working in the occupied areas of the island closest to the volcano, and Public Works staff and others involved in ash clearing operations. Some of these individuals may be at risk of respiratory illness if the volcanic eruption continues for many years to come. The preliminary results of a respiratory health survey of outdoor workers, carried out in 2001, did not show any evidence for the early development of silicosis. A concurrent study of Montserratians in the UK and an earlier study of Montserratian children did find evidence of an association between ash exposure an respiratory symptoms. There is a need to minimize the future exposure of the most highly exposed groups of islanders to minimize the long-term health risks.
Long term exposure to respirable volcanic ash on Montserrat: a time series simulation
Bulletin of Volcanology, 2006
Frequent ash fallout from long-lived eruptions (with active phases greater than 5 years) may lead to local populations experiencing unacceptably high cumulative exposures to respirable particulate matter. Ash from Montserrat has been shown to contain significant levels of cristobalite and other reactive agents that are associated with an increased risk of developing pneumoconiosis (including silicosis) and other long-term health problems. There are a number of difficulties associated with estimating risks in populations due to uncertain and wide ranging individual exposures, change in behaviour with time and the natural variation in individual response. Present estimates of risk in workers and other population groups are simplifications based on a limited number of exposure measurements taken on Montserrat (1996-1999), and exposure−response
Chronic exposure to volcanic environments and chronic bronchitis incidence in the Azores, Portugal
Environmental Research, 2007
The village of Furnas, like other active volcanic areas in the world, exhibits high levels of hazardous gases. We aimed to investigate the existence of a possible association between chronic exposure to volcanic sulfur gases and chronic bronchitis. To investigate this, we used two populations, one exposed to active manifestations of volcanism (Furnas) and another from an area where no volcanic activity took place for over three million years (Santa Maria), both in the Azores. We used data on the incidence of chronic bronchitis among both populations (1991-2001), obtained from the records of each local health center, and population denominators from censuses carried out in 1991 and 2001, using five age-groups. We also estimated relative risks and mean annual age-standardized rates of chronic bronchitis incidence. Incidence rates were extremely higher in the volcanically active area for both sexes, and especially in the youngest groups. Accordingly, the risk of chronic bronchitis for the people living in the volcanically active area was extremely higher (males RR ¼ 3.99; females RR ¼ 10.74) when compared to those living in the volcanically inactive area. Comparison of chronic bronchitis incidence rates between both populations suggests an association between this disease and the chronic exposure to the volcanically active environment, with all its hazardous gases like hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. These findings may help health officials to better advice people inhabiting volcanic areas, or others with high levels of sulfur gases, on how to prevent and minimize the risks of chronic bronchitis.
Health Impact of Volcanic Emissions
Volcanoes - Geological and Geophysical Setting, Theoretical Aspects and Numerical Modeling, Applications to Industry and Their Impact on the Human Health
Volcanoes form along the edges of tectonic plates. Although it is true that volcanic eruptions are destructive, these eruptions also have benefits. Volcanic eruptions provide minerals to the surrounding soil, and these minerals are beneficial to agriculture and can be used as building materials. Exposure to volcanic emissions can threaten the health of inhabitants in many ways; dermal and ocular irritation, cardiopulmonary exacerbations in people who suffer from chronic diseases, and even cancer have been linked with exposure to volcanic emissions. When rainwater passes through volcanic ashes deposited on land surfaces, the leaching of metals leads to significant changes in the chemistry of the surface water, increasing the risk of drinking water and land contamination. In addition to the health effects, volcanic eruptions are known to lead to surface cooling at the regional and global scales because of the emission of fine ash particles; however, these emissions, being a source of sulfates, contribute to acid rain formation. Because volcanic ash is highly abrasive, this ash can lower visibility and cause considerable damage to the engines of transportation systems. To avoid fatalities, it is important to closely monitor volcanic activity and promote a culture of prevention at all levels of society.
Volcanic air pollution and human health: recent advances and future directions
Bulletin of Volcanology
Volcanic air pollution from both explosive and effusive activity can affect large populations as far as thousands of kilometers away from the source, for days to decades or even centuries. Here, we summarize key advances and prospects in the assessment of health hazards, effects, risk, and management. Recent advances include standardized ash assessment methods to characterize the multiple physicochemical characteristics that might influence toxicity; the rise of community-based air quality monitoring networks using low-cost gas and particulate sensors; the development of forecasting methods for ground-level concentrations and associated public advisories; the development of risk and impact assessment methods to explore health consequences of future eruptions; and the development of evidence-based, locally specific measures for health protection. However, it remains problematic that the health effects of many major and sometimes long-duration eruptions near large populations have gon...
Environmental Research, 2003
The fine-grained character of volcanic ash generated in the long-lived eruption of the Soufrie`re Hills volcano, Montserrat, West Indies, raises the issue of its possible health hazards. Surface-and free-radical production has been closely linked to bioreactivity of dusts within the lung. In this study, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques have been used, for the first time, on volcanic ash to measure the production of radicals from the surface of particles. Results show that concentrations of hydroxyl radicals (HO d ) in respirable ash are two to three times higher than a toxic quartz standard. The dome-collapse ash contains cristobalite, a crystalline silica polymorph that may cause adverse health effects. EPR experiments indicate, however, that cristobalite in the ash does not contribute to HO d generation. Our results show that the main cause of reactivity is removable divalent iron (Fe 2+ ), which is present in abundance on the surfaces of the particles and is very reactive in the lung. Our analyses show that fresh ash generates more HO d than weathered ash (which has undergone progressive oxidation and leaching of iron from exposed surfaces), an effect replicated experimentally by incubating fresh ash in dilute acid. HO d production experiments also indicate that iron-rich silicate minerals are responsible for surface reactivity in the Soufrie`re Hills ash. r
Multidisciplinary respiratory medicine, 2013
Mount Etna, located in the eastern part of Sicily (Italy), is the highest and most active volcano in Europe. During the sustained eruption that occurred in October-November 2002 huge amounts of volcanic ash fell on a densely populated area south-east of Mount Etna in Catania province. The volcanic ash fall caused extensive damage to infrastructure utilities and distress in the exposed population. This retrospective study evaluates whether or not there was an association between ash fall and acute health effects in exposed local communities. We collected the number and type of visits to the emergency department (ED) for diseases that could be related to volcanic ash exposure in public hospitals of the Province of Catania between October 20 and November 7, 2002. We compared the magnitude of differences in ED visits between the ash exposure period in 2002 and the same period of the previous year 2001. We observed a significant increase of ED visits for acute respiratory and cardiovascu...