Immediate public health concerns and actions in volcanic eruptions: lessons from the Mount St. Helens eruptions, May 18-October 18, 1980

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.76.Suppl.25· OSTI ID:6896805

Bernstein, R S; Baxter, P J; Falk, H; Ing, R; Foster, L; Frost, F

The Centers for Disease Control in collaboration with affected state and local health departments, clinicians, and private institutions carried out a compulsive epidemiologic evaluation of mortality and morbidity associated with volcanic activity following the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Excession morbidity were limited to transient increases to emergency room visits and hospital admissions for troumatic injuries and respiratory problems. Excessive mortality due to suffocation (76%) thermal injuries (12%), or trauma (12%) by ash and other volcanic hazards was directly proportional to the degree of environmental damage. De novo appearance of asthma was not observed, but excess adverse respiratory effects were observed in persons with preexisting respiratory disease and in heavy smokers. The volcanic ash had a mild to moderate fibrogenic potential. Community exposures to resuspended ash only transiently exceeded health limits normally applied to entire working lifetime exposures to free silica. There were no excessive exposures to toxic metals, fibrous minerals, organic chemicals, radon, or toxic gases of volcanic origin in community water supplies on air.

• Research Organization: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH
• OSTI ID: 6896805
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AEROSOLS
ASHES
BURNS
CASCADE MOUNTAINS
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
DISEASE INCIDENCE
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
EPIDEMIOLOGY
ERUPTION
FEDERAL REGION X
FIBROSIS
FLUIDS
GASES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INJURIES
METALS
MINERALS
MORTALITY
MOUNTAINS
MT ST HELENS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
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PARTICLE RESUSPENSION
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
POPULATIONS
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RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
SILICA
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SMOKES
SOLS
TOBACCO SMOKES
USA
VOLCANISM
VOLCANOES
WASHINGTON