Identification of the physical and chemical characteristics of volcanic hazards

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.76.Suppl.45· OSTI ID:6896638

Olsen, K B; Fruchter, J S

Immediately after the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, the public health and laboratory science communities were required to assess the likely nature and toxicity of the volcanic products. This included assessing the following volcanic products: the emissions of volcanic gases (SO/sub 2/) and H/sub 2/S), volatile organics (polynuclear aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons), toxic inorganics (arsenic, mercury, HF, and HCl), radon gas and short-lived radiation emitted (alpha and gamma) during the decay of radon daughters, and respirable particulates (fibrous materials and free crystalline silica). The intent of this article is to present the Mount St. Helens environmental sampling plan, discuss the numerous techniques available to the public health community to analyze volcanic emissions for toxic materials, and briefly outline the findings of the many analytical laboratory studies published after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA
• OSTI ID: 6896638
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
580400* -- Geochemistry-- (-1989)
AIR POLLUTION
ALPHA PARTICLES
AROMATICS
ARSENIC
ASHES
CASCADE MOUNTAINS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CRYSTALS
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ERUPTION
FEDERAL REGION X
FIBERS
FLUIDS
GAMMA RADIATION
GASES
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
INORGANIC ACIDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOTOPES
MAGMA
MERCURY
METALS
MINERALS
MOUNTAINS
MT ST HELENS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTION
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
RADIATIONS
RADON
RARE GASES
RESIDUES
SAMPLING
SEMIMETALS
SILICA
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
USA
VOLCANIC GASES
VOLCANOES
WASHINGTON