The Iceland volcano with the unpronounceable name -- Eyjafjallajökull -- shut down the airspace over all of Europe, stranding 10 million people in airports and prompting comparisons with the disruptions in air travel after 9-11.
But, now two weeks after the exlosions began, new concerns similar to the post-911 health issues are emerging. What are the long-term health dangers from breathing the tiny particles of volcanic ash? Will the Iceland volcano cause breathing problems for those with asthma? Will Europe see an increase in respiratory cancers following the Iceland volcano? What can you do to protet yourself against the long-term health risks from the volcano?
The Iceland volcano showed us one of the most awe- inspiring and destructive sights our planet has to offer, volcano in full effect, exploding plumes of red and white-hot fire.
No one knows exactly how hot the inside of a volcano is. We know that the vocano is the last surface expression of the heat from the internal core of the Earth. According to geologists from the United States Geological Survey, the inner core of the Earth is about 13,000 degrees Farhenheit (7200 to 7500 degrees Celsius). That's hotter than the surface of the Sun.
We have all seen the spectacular images of burning rock fired high into the sky, as rivers of molten magma flow down mountain sides. But even if you are safely away from the heat and lava, one side effect of an eruption carries a lot further and can be a danger to your health, volcanic ash.
Here are the most common health problems reported following a volcanic eruption, based on research studies:
1. Throat Irritations, Runny Nose, Itchy Eyes.While down- playing the health dangers of the ash cloud, the immediate advice from the World Health Organization (WHO) after the Icelandic eruptions, was for the citizens of Europe to stay indoors. Dr Maria Neira, Director of WHO's Public Health and Environment Department said: “If people are outside and notice irritation in their throat and lungs, a runny nose or itchy eyes, they should return indoors and limit their outdoor activities.”
2. Asthma, Bronchitis, Emphysema. When a volcano erupts, it creates a giant ash cloud made up of tiny pieces of ground- up rock and glassy sand, that rises high into the atmosphere and can drift hundreds of miles from the original site of the volcano. The two recent eruptions in Iceland forced the closure of air space across a large part of Europe. But as well as travel chaos, the ash can be dangerous to people, particularly those who already suffer from conditions like asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. It is still too early to draw conclusions from Iceland but studies into previous eruptions have shown this.
3. Pneumonia. The eruption of Mount Ruapehu in New Zealand in 2005 showed that the amount of ash need not even be that great to have health effects. Communities were dusted with a few millimetres of ash, which according to Johnson and Becker's Volcanic ash review—Part 1: Impacts on lifelines services and collection/disposal issues: Auckland Regional Council Technical Publication, led to an increase in bronchitis in the local population. However, asthma sufferers did not seem to be adversely affected. The Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines in 1991 was also reported to cause acute respiratory infections, leading to pneumonia, bronchitis and emphysema, according to the paper Origin of the Mount Pinatubo climatic eruption cloud: Implications for volcanic hazards and atmospheric impacts, published in 2002.
4. Eye Irritations and Skin Irritations. In 1980, Mount St Helens, in Washington state, erupted with terrible consequences, killing 57 people. The biggest eruption in the United States for 65 years, the ash from the volcano also had more subtle health effects. As RJ Blong reports in Volcanic hazards: a sourcebook on the effects of eruptions (1984), “a telephone survey conducted in several ash-affected communities suggested that 4-8% of the population experienced eye irritation but that only one in ten of these sought medical advice”. Minor skin irritations were also reported after the ash fall.
All of these are simply the direct effects of volcanic ash. You should not forget the health risks that are indirectly caused by ash clouds. As ash builds up on roofs, there is a chance they can collapse; ash reduces visibility on roads and covers road markings, both of which can lead to accidents; ash can contaminate local water sources and can even kill grazing animals who ingest it from the soil.
The advice from the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network is clear:
Avoid driving after ash fall
Stay indoors, keeping doors and windows shut
Wear dust masks and goggles if you are involved in the clean-up operation
Stock up on bottled water
Lightly water any ash deposits before you sweep them up, this makes the harmful particles less likely to become airborne and therefore be breathed in