Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
WHO Health Warning: Avoid Contact w/ Settled Volcanic Ash, Risks
Share:
by Paul Conneally | April 16, 2010 at 08:04 am
1787 views | 31 Recommendations | 6 comments
Videos
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a health warning urging families to stay indoors if volcanic ash from the Icelandic volcanic eruption starts to settle on the ground.
The WHO health warning seems to dispute initial reports that there were no real health risks outside of the immediate volcanic zone.
Children, Those with Asthma, Respiratory Diseases Most at Risk
David Epstein of WHO said that the exact health risks from the cloud were not yet known, but that those suffering from asthma or other respiratory diseases were most at risk.
Anyone on medication for such diseases is advised to stop outside activities and return indoors if volcanic dust starts to settle and to make sure that they are carrying medication such as inhalers at all times. Young children might also suffer breathing problems if exposed to the dust for prolonged periods.
Although a sulfurous smell might accompany any such volcanic ash fall there are not thought to be any long term health risks associated with the ash.
The World Health Organisation warned that ash, which has already reached the ground in northern Scotland, is potentially dangerous and if inhaled could cause respiratory problems.
Ash in Aircraft: Planes Grounded
The warning comes as planes across Northern Europe and UK remain grounded amid fears that volcanic ash getting into aircraft jet engines could cause planes to fall from the air.
This is the second day that flights remain grounded and it is forecast that they could remain grounded for at least another two days. A small number of flights have been allowed from the UK but many European countries have for the time being banned all commercial flights.
Advertisement
NowPublic on Facebook
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Most Recommended Comment
Crowd Power
Paul Conneally
Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
Most Recommended Stories in Health
Recommendations (31)
Karen Hatter
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Amy Judd
Vancouver, Canada
Anonymous user
stejeb
United Kingdom
Barbara McPherson
Nanaimo, Canada
Alida Antonia Cornelius
Ohio River Valley, Louisville, United States
Mary Richard
Toronto, Canada
Yuliya Talmazan
Burnaby, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (6)
at 10:21 on April 16th, 2010
I see the cloud of ash over Kent. It just looks like 'dirty air'. Underneath it, the sky is blue. It is not black at all but rather 'smoggy'. It doesn't seem to be settling. Of course this could be a cloud of pollution from the motorways...... but I spoke to a person from Maidstone who said 'it was like a rainbow'.
One thing I notice is the absence of aircraft, normally there are several planes going overhead. I live near Biggin Hill and Gatwick.
at 20:45 on April 16th, 2010
The WHO has issued this warning - personally I tend to agree that inhaling these tiny particles cannot be healthy for anyone, but particularly for anyone who is a known respiratory sufferer. I am NOT a great fan of WHO - particularly since the scare of the H1N1 turned out to be yet another false alarm. However in this instance I would say it is better to play it safe, and avoid the ask, than to suffer later. There is a warning out about its side effects etc.
at 06:32 on April 17th, 2010
I have a 30month old son with cystic fibrosis and although we are experiencing glorious weather this week in the uk i believe the best course of action is to stay indoors until the health risks of the volcanic dust are properly assessed. This is such an unusual situation that we need to be guided by the proper authorities and if the WHO are concerned then I am too
at 12:44 on April 19th, 2010
Hi, I also have a son with cystic fibrosis and i am a little concerned. I am aware that it may affect asthma sufferers in the short term but will it really be short term for those with cf? People with cf have trouble getting regular dust out of their lungs.Not enough info and a lot of it is conflicting??My son is coughing and i have a sore throat and eyes, coincidence maybe.
at 09:20 on April 17th, 2010
WHO is spot on with the health warning. The smog is made up of microscopic particles of rock and volcanic glass. You don't want those in your lungs. The other really bad component spewed out by the volcano is sulfur dioxide which, in the presence of moisture(your lungs) turns into sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is about as bad as you can get -- think how your eyes feel when you peel an onion.
at 15:20 on April 20th, 2010
My son is 3 years old. I won't bring him out under the current situation. The tiny particles may not even be visible but it can do bad things for the lungs, worst for young children. If it is absolutely necessary to bring him out, I will keep him in the car and get him put on his TOTOBOBO mask (totobobo.com). This mask has been tested in hospital and is the only one that fits him.