Name: Aira Clair T.

Alcano Grade: 11- Rectitude

A. What are the health impacts of the four volcanic ashes?

-Effects of ash on health may be divided into several categories: respiratory effects, eye
symptoms, skin irritation, and indirect effects.

Respiratory effects-Ashes can be inhaled deep into the lungs. High exposure causes chest
discomfort, coughing, and irritation in healthy adults. Typical acute symptoms: Irritation (runny
nose). Throat pain and dry coughing. Those with previous chest difficulties may experience
severe bronchitis days following exposure to ash (for example, hacking cough, production of
sputum, wheezing, or shortness of breath). Asthma and bronchitis cause shortness of breath,
wheezing and coughing. It's hard to breathe.

Eye Symptoms-Grit can cause painful scrapes in the front of the eye (corneal abrasions) and
conjunctivitis. Contact lens wearers should be aware of this issue and remove their lenses to
avoid corneal damage. This includes- Eyes that have foreign particles in them. Painful, itchy, or
bloodshot eyes. Weeping or spotting. Corneal abrasions. Acute conjunctivitis is an inflammation
of the conjunctival sac surrounding the eyeball caused by ash. It causes redness, eye burning,
and photosensitivity.

Skin irritation- Irritation of the Skin Although it is uncommon, volcanic ash can cause skin
irritation in some persons, especially if the ash is acidic in composition. Irritation and reddening
of the skin are some of the signs and symptoms. Scratching might result in secondary
infections.

Indirect effects- As well as the short and long-term health risks, indirect impacts of large
ashfalls must also be considered. These mainly arise from the secondary consequences of
ashfall, for example:

Road effects- Ashes in the air reduce visibility and cause accidents. The ash on the roads is
dangerous. Wet or dried ash obscures road signs and impairs grip. Ashes may obstruct roads,
depriving people of access to essentials.
Power effects- Ashfall can cause outages. The lack of heating or other infrastructure
requirements that rely on power may have health repercussions. Wet ash is conductive; thus,
cleaning power supply equipment requires strict adherence to safe operating practices.
For supply of water-For further information, visit the Ashfall page. Water tanks with roof drainage are
susceptible to contamination by volcanic ashfall. The pH may be reduced, or chlorination stopped.
Water shortages are likely during and after ashfalls due to cleanup needs.
Effects on sanitation (wastewater disposal etc.). - The temporary disablement of municipal
sanitation systems may lead to increased disease in affected areas.

Risk of roof collapse-

1) Roofs can collapse from the weight of ash, resulting in injury or death for that underneath.

2) There is a danger of roof collapse whilst clearing ash from roofs due to the increased load of
a person on an already overloaded roof.

3) In several eruptions people have died after falling from their roofs while cleaning up ash.

Animal health- If the ash is coated in hydrofluoric acid, the ash can be very toxic to grazing
animals if they ingest ash-covered grass and soil.

B. 1. Select ONE volcano hazard map of a:

(a) Philippine Volcano – Mayon Volcano

(b) Volcano from other countries- Kilauea Volcano

2. Read the maps and interpret each map (minimum of 5 sentences only)

* Mayon Volcano

Mayon is a symmetrical stratovolcano that is one

of the world's most active. Its frequent eruptions have caused large-scale evacuations due to
pyroclastic flows, mudflows, and ash falls. In 1814, Mayon erupted, killing over 1200 people and
destroying towns. The volcano has a small summit crater and rises 2462 m above the Albay Gulf.
The cyclical activity begins with basaltic eruptions, followed by longer-term andesitic lava flows.
Eruptions mostly originate from the central conduit, but lava flows have traveled far down the
flanks. Pyroclastic flows and mudflows have frequently swept down the summit's approximately
40 ravines, destroying populated lowland areas. A volcanic eruption usually causes a variety of
hazards. Each hazard poses unique threats to specific areas. This distinguishes eruptions from
other major natural hazards like floods and earthquakes. There are pyroclastic falls, pyroclastic
flows, pyroclastic surges, lava extrusions (domes and flows), debris avalanches, lahars, and
volcanic gases. Hazard maps are used to help you understand the affected areas. These show
impacted and unaffected areas. In order to be effective, volcanic hazards must be identified.
Volcanic hazard analysis is based on past eruptions. The future hazards can be predicted by
studying the geological record, watching eruptions, and monitoring background levels of activity.
The hazard maps show these.
* Kilauea Volcano

Kilauea is a basaltic shield volcano popular

for its high fountains and lava flows (Swanson, 2014). (Swanson, 2014). Kilauea is
located in the middle of the pacific plate and is comprised of a summit caldera and
multiple rift zones towards the south west and east (Whitty, 2020). (Whitty, 2020).
Although Kilauea is not currently an explosive volcano, but an effusive one – it is the
most active of the five total volcanoes that form Hawaii (Halliday, 2018)Kilauea is one
of the most monitored volcanoes in the world, but it still poses potential risks and
hazards for both Hawaiian residents and tourists (Carbone, 2013).For example,
Kilauea erupted recently in 2018 when the Pu‘u ‘O ̄ ‘o vent collapsed on April 13
(Whitty, 2020). (Whitty, 2020). People living close-by were endangered because 24
separate fissures opened over 6.8 kilometers of land, with lava fountains reaching
up to 80 meters into the air and lava flows moving up to 200 cubic meters per second
(Whitty, 2020). (Whitty, 2020). The lava eventually reached the ocean, covering a total
area of over 35.5 square meters (Whitty, 2020). (Whitty, 2020). Without diligent
monitoring, this 2018 eruption at Kilauea volcano could have had deadly
consequences, but instead, it simply displaced and mildly inconvenienced the people
of Hawaii. Beginning in 1983, Kilauea’s current eruption period has disrupted life on
the island many times before: once in 1990 for example, and then again in 2014
(Halliday, 2018). (Halliday, 2018). From 2007 to 2008, fast-moving lava flows
endangered the remaining inhabitants of a nearby subdivision (Patrick, 2012).
(Patrick, 2012). But with the help of advanced monitoring devices, eruptions that
would have been catastrophic in ancient times are safely and effectively
avoided.ndeed, perhaps Kilauea’s true danger to residents and tourists is not
volcanic eruptions, but rather their severe impact on air quality (Halliday, 2018).
(Halliday, 2018). Kilauea regularly emits volcanic pollution, also known as “vog,” that
consists of dangerous gases and aerosols like sulphur dioxide (Halliday, 2018).
(Halliday, 2018). Studies have shown that there is a strong connection between
volcanic pollution and pulmonary-related hospitalization (Halliday, 2018).Therefore,
Kilauea volcano poses several significant dangers to the people of Hawaii. Some are
apparent, like high fountains and lava flows. Others, like vog, have the potential to
be silent killers, and are all the more dangerous for it.