Acidic clouds from large-scale Icelandic volcanoes: a public health hazard

New research from the University of Leeds shows that a large-scale volcanic eruption in southern Iceland, similar to the Laki eruption in 1783, could result in widespread air pollution across Europe.

The study, published Tuesday 20th in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that an event on a similar scale to the eight-month-long Laki eruption in 1783-1784 would release huge amounts of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. This gas would subsequently form a cloud consisting of tiny sulphate particles, which could be dispersed across the continent potentially creating a severe public health hazard.

The resulting exposure of the population to increased volcanic air pollution could potentially cause around 140,000 premature deaths within a year - many more than the number of people who die from seasonal flu each year. The UK, due to its proximity to Iceland, would be one of the worst affected areas in Europe with an estimated 20,000 extra deaths from heart and lung diseases.

Lead author of the study Dr. Anja Schmidt, from the University of Leeds School of Earth and Environment, said: "The two recent Icelandic eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull and Grímsvötn have raised public awareness of the risks posed by volcanic ash to commercial aviation in the UK and beyond.

Co-author Dr. Bart Ostro, an epidemiologist with the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) in Barcelona indicated that the study relied on the substantial evidence from the scientific literature that both acute and chronic exposure to tiny particles like sulphate are associated with both mortality and morbidity.
 

Source: HealthNews