| Guidance for homes, businesses, & communities
Ash clean up in Anchorage, Alaska, after eruption of Mount Spurr in 1992
Taking action before, during, and after an ash fall can prevent or reduce many of the damaging effects of ash.
Removing ash requires disposal sites and coordination among individuals and households, community organizations, and businesses.
| Actions to take | Ash clean-up |
Managing ash fall in Yakima, Washington, from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens: Overview by Dick Zais, City Man more at: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/
Heavy ash fall may result in the collapse of roofs under the weight of ash and high levels of respirable ash in the air (ash particles less than 10 microns in diameter). T
he collapse of roofs can be deadly for people within buildings, but falling ash is not yet known to result in serious injury or disease from inhalation. Ash and coarser particles inhaled from within a hot, dense pyroclastic flow or surge, however, almost always results in death from burns or asphyxiation.
People exposed to ash fall and subsequent ash-filled air commonly experience various eye, nose, and throat symptoms.
Based on historical eruptions, short-term exposures to ash, however, are not known to pose a significant health hazard. Long-term health effects of volcanic ash have not yet been demonstrated.
People should avoid unnecessary exposure to ash and wear an effective face mask when outside to reduce inhalation of ash particles.
Patients with chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma should take special precaution to avoid exposure to ash particles and be aware that the use of any respirator other than single-use (disposable) respirator may cause additional cardio-pulmonary stress.
Medical services can expect an increase number of patients with respiratory and eye symptoms during and after ash fall.
People will generally be very concerned about the effects of ash, and questions usually arise about the content of the ash, particularly regarding the minerals quartz, cristobalite, or tridymite. T
hese are free crystalline silica known to cause silicosis, a disabling and potential fatal lung disease typically found in miners and quarry workers exposed to high concentrations of siliceous dust over long periods of time.
Exposure to respirable-sized free crystalline silica from most ash falls are typically of short duration (days to weeks), and data suggests that the recommended respirable exposure limit of 50 micrograms/m3 of air can be exceeded for short periods of times for the general population.
more at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/...
And for Live infos
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/acti... |
