Evaluation of physical health effects due to volcanic hazards: the use of experimental systems to estimate the pulmonary toxicity of volcanic ash

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.76.Suppl.59· OSTI ID:7193308

Martin, T R; Wehner, A P; Butler, J

Shortly after Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, a number of laboratories began to investigate the effects of volcanic ash in a variety of experimental systems in attempts to predict effects that might occur in the lung of humans exposed to volcanic ash. The published results are remarkably consistent, despite the use of non-uniform ash samples and variability in the experimental approaches used. The data indicate that volcanic ash, even in high concentrations, causes little toxicity to lung cells in vitro and in vivo, as compared with effects of free crystalline silica, which is known to be highly fibrogenic. Volcanic ash does not appear to be entirely inert, however, possibly because of low concentrations of free crystalline silica in the ash. The published experimental studies suggest that inhaled volcanic ash is not likely to be harmful to the lungs of healthy humans, but the potential effects of volcanic ash in patients with pre-existing lung diseases are more difficult to ascertain from these studies.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
• OSTI ID: 7193308
• Resource Relation: Journal Volume: 76:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ASHES
TOXICITY
VOLCANOES
HEALTH HAZARDS
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CRYSTALS
DISEASES
FIBERS
FORECASTING
HUMAN POPULATIONS
IN VITRO
IN VIVO
INHALATION
LUNGS
MT ST HELENS
PATIENTS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SAMPLING
SILICA
BODY
CASCADE MOUNTAINS
CHALCOGENIDES
FEDERAL REGION X
HAZARDS
INTAKE
MINERALS
MOUNTAINS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POPULATIONS
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
USA
WASHINGTON
560400* - Other Environmental Pollutant Effects