Cumu nguu (Vog), Ɓuuɓri Sulfuur, e Reende Cumu Asid¶

Smog (vog), ɓuuɓri gaasuuji dioksiid sulfuur (\(SO_2\)), e cuuɗi ɓuuɓɗi asid ko caɗeele fooftere kemikal gonɗe e ɓuuɓde e ɓuuɓde, ɗe ɓuuɓgol gaasuuji e ɓuuɓgol peeñninta ɓulli ɓuuɓɗi ko waawi battinde e yimɓe 10 haa 300+ kiloomeeteer (6 haa 185+ miil) dow henndu. So tawii ɓuuɓol gonngol e ɓuuɓde ina ɓuuɓna ujunnaaje ton gaas gaas sulfuur (\(SO_2\)) mo yiyataa ñalnde kala, oon gaas ina hawra e weeyo e lewru, oksijen, ɓuuɓol ndiyam, e ɓuuɓol ɓuuɓol ngam waylude ɗum wonta vog: ɓuuɓol asid aerosol ɓuuɓngol, ɓuuɓngol (\(SO_2\)) toɓɓe e ɓuuɓri sulfaat (\(PM_{2,5}\), ko famɗi fof 2,5 mikroomeeteer). E oon sahaa gooto, ɓuuɓol ɓuuɓngol kesol ngol ina ɓuuɓtoo e ɓuuɓol ɓuuɓngol hakkunde asid sulfurik (\(H_2SO_4\)), asid hidroklorik (\(HCl\)), e asid hidroklorik (\(HF\)), ina wayla ɓuuɓol gonngol e toɓo ɓuuɓol ngol, ina waɗta ɓuuɓol ɓuuɓngol e {mixt$d cheH.}d \(2,0\) e \(4,0\).

E wiyde wiɗto leydi Amerik (USGS), Fedde Adunaare toppitiinde cellal wulnde (IVHHN), Fedde Adunaare Cellal (OMS), e Departemaa Cellal Dowla Hawaii, gaas sulfuur e vog asid ina mbaawi saabaade nguurndam reflex bronchospasm e nder yimɓe wonduɓe e asma walla COPD e nder njuuteendi mum tote\xt}5. pecce e nder miliyoŋ (ppm)}\(**. Yanti heen, cumu asid e toɓo asid vulkanik ina yaawi ɓuuɓnude **fluoride** tooke e **plomb** ɓuuɓɗo (gila e ɓuuɓri dowri e jokkondire solder) e nder ɓulli ndiyam toɓo galleeji. So tawii gaasuuji asfiksiyankooji ɓurɗi teeŋtude e henndu ko wayi no gaas karbonik (\)CO_2\() ina ɓuuɓna e men... [limnic ɓuuɓol e duule gaas vulkanik ina njiyloo](limnic-eruptions-and-volcanic-carbon-dioxide-gas-clouds.md), ndee ɗoo deftere ina rokka porotokol timmungol fooftere, gite, ndiyam, e nokku ɗo hoɗorde ngam wuurdude e dow henndu **\)SO_2$ plumes, episodes vog, e ash acidic.

Waɗde ɗum jooni¶

1. Evacuate crosswind (perpendicular to the wind) or shelter indoors immediately if you smell a sharp "struck match" or burnt fireworks odor (\(SO_2\) gas) or see thick blue-gray vog haze. Sulfur dioxide becomes detectable by smell at \(0.5\text{ to }3\text{ ppm}\) and becomes Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) at \(100\text{ ppm}\). If you are outdoors near a volcanic plume, move uphill and crosswind, stop all physical exercise (heavy breathing pulls corrosive \(SO_2\) bypass straight past the nose into the deep lungs), and get inside a tightly closed building or vehicle.
2. Siftor "Suudu henndu laaɓndu" nder suudu maa, waɗtu Air Conditioning ngam RECIRCULATE, e ɓuuɓnude gaasuuji asid nder suudu kuutortooɗi laɓɓinoowo HEPA + Activated Carbon walla ekran fannu Baking Soda. Uddit denndaangal windooji, dame, e dampeeji ɓuuɓɗi, e uddude windooji suudu lootorde/cuuɗi ɓuuɓɗi ƴettugol. So tawii a alaa laɓɓinoowo henndu jogiiɗo leeso asid-gaas karbon / permanganaat potaasiyom teeŋtuɗo, ɓuuɓna **2 kaasuuji (\(30\text{ grams}n\)) bikarbonaat galle (bikarbonaat soda) e nder liiteer gooto (\(1\texts a**t lefol, soda}\)) towel e nder ɓuuɓri alkaline haa ɓuuɓta, e fawde ɗum to bannge ŋoral naatgol fan box nder suudu ngam ustude kemikal nder suudu \(SO_2\) e ɓuuɓri asid.
3. Keep prescribed asthma rescue inhalers (albuterol/salbutamol) and preventive corticosteroid inhalers in your pocket at all times. People with asthma, reactive airway disease, COPD, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, infants, and pregnant women are hypersensitive to \(SO_2\): concentrations of just \(0.5\text{ to }1.0\text{ ppm}\) cause the smooth muscles surrounding the bronchial tubes to clamp shut within 2 to 5 minutes. If wheezing, chest tightness, or persistent coughing does not resolve after two puffs of a rescue inhaler, call your local emergency number (911 in the United States and Canada, 112 across the European Union, 999 in the United Kingdom, or see all limooje caɗtuɗe); ƴeew men asma attack njillu ballal gadanal.
4. Disconnect your rooftop rainwater catchment downspouts BEFORE the volcanic ash or acid plume arrives. Volcanic acid rain (\(\text{pH } 2.5\text{ to }4.0\)) and acidic ash coating your roof will wash toxic hydrofluoric acid (fluoride) into your drinking-water cistern while simultaneously dissolving toxic lead, copper, and zinc out of metal roofing nails, lead roof flashings, and gutter solder into your tap water. Pull the downspout diverter pipe off your cistern tank immediately before the plume hits, and check tank \(\text{pH}\) (must be neutralized with baking soda to \(\text{pH } 6.5\text{ to }8.5\)) after the eruption.
5. NEVER rub stinging eyes or run dry windshield wipers during acidic ashfall, flush eyes with water for 15 minutes. Acidic volcanic ash is not soft fireplace soot: it consists of microscopic, jagged shards of shattered silicate rock and volcanic glass coated in sulfuric and hydrochloric acid. Rubbing your eyes grinds razor-sharp glass splinters into your cornea, and running dry windshield wipers scratches car windshields permanently opaque in seconds. Remove contact lenses immediately, wear non-vented wrap-around goggles, and flush burning eyes with a gentle stream of sterile saline or clean water for 15 minutes; see eye injuries first aid.
6. Wash acidic ash off garden vegetables, pasture troughs, and pets' paws, and never let livestock graze on ash-dusted grass. Fluoride (\(HF\)) condensed onto fine volcanic ash causes fatal acute fluorosis and hypocalcemia in grazing sheep, cattle, goats, and horses that lick or eat ash-coated pasture grass. Bring pets and livestock under cover, feed clean stored hay/feed, and cover open water troughs.

Volcanic smog (vog), sulfur dioxide (\(SO_2\)), and acidic ash decision tree¶

Use this field and household decision flowchart to select the right respiratory filter, indoor shelter setup, and water-safety response.

flowchart TD
    Start["Volcanic Plume Hazard Downwind:<br/>Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Gas, Hazy Vog Aerosol, or Acidic Ashfall"] --> PlumeType{"Which volcanic hazard is<br/>affecting your location?"}

    PlumeType -->|"1. NEAR VENT / FISSURE (<15 km):<br/>Invisible Choking SO2 Gas Plume<br/>('Struck Match' Smell, SO2 > 1 to 10+ ppm)"| NearSO2["ACUTE SULFUR DIOXIDE (SO2) GAS PROTOCOL:<br/>1. WARNING: N95 / P100 dust masks DO NOT block SO2 gas<br/>2. Put on Acid Gas (AG) Cartridge + P100 Elastomeric Respirator<br/>   OR breathe through cloth soaked in Baking Soda + Water<br/>3. Move IMMEDIATELY Crosswind & Uphill (do not run/exert)<br/>4. Drive out of plume with Car A/C on RECIRCULATE"]

    PlumeType -->|"2. DOWNWIND REGIONAL HAZE (15 to 300+ km):<br/>Sulfuric Acid Vog Aerosol (PM2.5) + Low SO2"| DownwindVog["REGIONAL VOG & ASTHMA PROTECTION:<br/>1. Wear N95 / KN95 / FFP2 mask outdoors (blocks PM2.5 acid droplets)<br/>2. Indoors: Close windows, set A/C to Recirculate, & run HEPA + Carbon<br/>   air purifier (or Box Fan with damp Baking-Soda sheet)<br/>3. Keep Albuterol rescue inhaler in hand; stay hydrated with warm fluids"]

    PlumeType -->|"3. FALLING ACIDIC VOLCANIC ASH & ACID RAIN<br/>(Gritty Glass Shards Coated in H2SO4, HCl, & HF)"| AcidAsh["ACIDIC ASH & WATER CATCHMENT PROTECTION:<br/>1. Disconnect rooftop rainwater downspouts from cistern tank NOW<br/>2. Wear N95/P100 mask + Non-Vented Eye Goggles + Long Sleeves<br/>3. Remove contact lenses; NEVER rub eyes (glass shards scratch cornea)<br/>4. Bring livestock/pets indoors & cover open water troughs"]

    NearSO2 --> MedCheck{"Are any emergency medical<br/>symptoms developing?"}
    DownwindVog --> MedCheck
    AcidAsh --> MedCheck

    MedCheck -->|"Severe Wheezing, Chest Tightness,<br/>Stridor, or Unrelieved Coughing"| AsthmaER["ACUTE BRONCHOSPASM / AIRWAY BURN:<br/>1. Sit casualty upright (never lie flat)<br/>2. Administer 2 to 4 puffs Albuterol inhaler (via spacer if available)<br/>3. Call 911 / 112 / 999 & monitor 24 to 48 hrs for Pulmonary Edema"]

    MedCheck -->|"Ash or Acid Rain in Eyes"| EyeFlush["CORNEAL GLASS & ACID FLUSH:<br/>Hold eyelids open and pour clean water / saline across eye<br/>for 15 minutes WITHOUT rubbing"]

Comparing Near-Vent \(SO_2\) Plumes vs. Downwind Vog vs. Acidic Volcanic Ash¶

Understanding how a volcanic plume transforms chemically as it blows downwind explains why the protective mask that works \(50\text{ kilometers}\) (\(30\text{ miles}\)) away fails completely at \(3\text{ kilometers}\) (\(2\text{ miles}\)) from the vent.

Laawɗuɗo \(SO_2\) Indeks kalite henndu (AQI) e limto golle DOH USGS / Hawaii¶

E nder nokkuuji ɓuuɓɗi ko wayi no Hawaii, Islande (Ofis Meteoroloji Islande Loftgæði limtooji), Japon (JMA sara tufnde Aso e Sakurajima), e Itali, nokkuuji ƴeewndorɗe kalite henndu ina kollita hojomaaji 15 e waktu 1 Vooksiid sulfuur (\(SO_2\)) njuuteendi mum e nder pecce a\(_2.ppm)**{\)5.pp toɓɓe:

Deep dive 1: How to build an indoor "Acid-Gas Scrubbing Safe Room" when trapped in a Vog or \(SO_2\) plume¶

If a wind shift blows a thick volcanic \(SO_2\) or vog plume over your town (for example, during Hawaii's "Kona wind" episodes when southerly winds blow Kīlauea's plume across the entire island chains, or when winds blow Reykjanes volcanic plumes directly over Grindavík and Reykjavík in Iceland) and you cannot immediately evacuate, ordinary indoor air quickly equalizes with outdoor gas unless you actively seal and scrub a room:

1. Choose and Seal One Interior Room:
2. Pick an interior bedroom or bathroom with the fewest windows and exterior wall penetrations.
3. Shut all windows and lock them tight (locking the latch compresses the rubber weatherstripping gasket).
4. Use painter's tape or duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal around window air-conditioner frames, bathroom ceiling exhaust fans, kitchen range hoods, and clothes dryer vents, and press a damp rolled towel against the bottom crack of the door.
5. Configure Your Air Conditioner Correctly:
6. So tawii aɗa jogii system HVAC hakkundeejo walla A/C mo alaa ko woni e mum (mini-split): ina moƴƴi kadi ina wallita e dogginde ɗum sabu systemji pecciiɗi ɗii ina cirƴa tan henndu nder suudu ina ɓuuɓna suudu nduu (ɓuuɓri ina ɓuuɓna won e aerosoluuji asid e dow coil evaporator ɓuuɓɗo oo, ina ɓuuɓna ɗum en e yaasi).
7. So aɗa jogii klimatiseer windooji walla A/C portaabe mo hose gooto: waylu lefol ɓuuɓol mekanik ngol e "UDDITDE / RECIRCULATE" (meeɗaa "Henndu keso / Uddit"), e **meeɗaa dogginde A/C portaabe mo hose gooto e nder windooji,walla pu-dow gootol ɓuuɓri vacuum bonndi nder galle maa ina suuɗa gaas tooke \(SO_2\) e nder kala ɓuuɓri mahol).
8. Doggondirde e ɓuuɓri henndu asid-gaas (njulaagu vs. DIY soda):
9. Cuɓal njulaagu: Filter HEPA kuutorteeɗo tan ina nannga vog (\(PM_{2.5}\)) ɓuuɓɗo e ndiyam, kono nanngataa gaas \(SO_2\). Ngam ittude gaas \(SO_2\) nder suudu, laɓɓinoowo henndu maa ina foti jogaade Lelnde Karbon (GAC) teeŋtunde (\(1\text{ haa }5+\text{ kg}\) karbon), tawa ina moƴƴi nde ɓuuɓnaa e permanganaat potaasiyom, bikarbonaat sodium idetamiodp, walla
10. Ɗaɓɓugol-Fan (IVHHN / Protokol USGS):
    • Sabu gaas sulfuur (\(SO_2\)), asid sulfurik (\(H_2SO_4\)), e asid hidroklorik (\(HCl\)) ko asiduuji tiiɗɗi, ɗi njaawnaaki ɓuuɓde e base alkaline hono **bikarbonaat galle (bikarbonaat soda, \(NaHCO_3\))_da (Na$sodium:soda, $\(SO_2 + 2NaHCO_3 \ɓaawoore ñaamo Na_2SO_3 + H_2O + 2CO_2\)$
    • Fuɗɗu 2 haa 3 kaas (\(30\text{ haa }45\text{ grams}\)) bikarbonaat e nder liiteer gooto (\(1\text{ quart}\)) ndiyam ngulɗam e nder ɓuuɓri walla e nder ɓuuɓri.
    • Sokkit ɓuuɓri cotton ɓuuɓndi, ɓuuɓri ɓuuɓri, walla ɓuuɓri mikroo-fiber porous e nder ndiyam bikarbonaat, ɓuuɓna ɗum haa ɗam ɓuuɓa (waa ɓuuɓde e dow ɓoggi kuuraa), ɓuuɓna ɗum walla ɓuuɓna ɗum e dow gril outflow yeeso fan moter box standard (waɗtu ɓuuɓri woɗɗitaade caggal).
    • Rewtin e ɓuuɓnude ɓoggol ngol e ɓuuɓri soda kala hojomaaji 30 haa 60 nde fannu oo fuɗata henndu suudu nduu e nder fiɓnde alkali.

Deep dive 2: Protecting rooftop rainwater catchment cisterns from Hydrofluoric Acid (\(HF\)) and Lead leaching¶

In many volcanic island and rural communities worldwide (including the Puna and Kaʻū districts of Hawaii Island, Vanuatu, Montserrat, the Canary Islands, and rural Central America/Indonesia), tens of thousands of homes are not connected to municipal water pipes and rely 100 percent on rooftop rainwater harvesting cisterns for drinking, cooking, and bathing water.

Volcanic plumes poison rooftop rainwater cisterns via two dangerous chemical pathways:

Pathway 1: Direct Acidification and Fluoride (\(HF\)) / Sulfate Contamination¶

When volcanic rain falls through an \(SO_2 / HCl / HF\) plume, or when rainwater washes freshly fallen acidic volcanic ash off your metal or shingle roof into the gutters, the water entering your cistern tank drops to an acidic \(\text{pH}\) of \(2.8\text{ to }4.5\) (similar to vinegar or grapefruit juice). - Even a thin \(1\text{-millimeter}\) coating of volcanic ash washed off a roof can dump dangerous levels of soluble fluoride (\(F^-\)) into the tank, causing nausea, abdominal cramps, and skeletal/dental fluorosis (or fatal hypocalcemia in livestock and pets).

Pathway 2: Acid Leaching of Heavy Metals (Lead, Copper, Zinc, Arsenic) from Your Roof and Plumbing¶

Before modern lead-free building codes, many older homes used lead-headed roofing nails, lead chimney/vent flashing boots, lead-containing paint/primers on galvanized roofs, or lead-tin solder on copper household pipes. - Normal neutral rainwater (\(\text{pH } 5.6\text{ to }7.0\)) barely dissolves solid lead. - However, when acidic vog rain (\(\text{pH } 3.0\text{ to }4.5\)) sits on a roof or stands overnight inside household pipes, it aggressively dissolves toxic lead and copper straight into the drinking water. Surveys by the Hawaii Department of Health and USGS around Kīlauea found that during high-vog periods, up to 20 to 40 percent of untreated rainwater catchment systems exceeded the US EPA maximum contaminant limit for lead (\(15\text{ parts per billion}\)), posing a severe neurodevelopmental risk to infants and children.

5-Step Rainwater Cistern Protection & Neutralization Checklist¶

• Step 1 (Before the Plume/Ash Arrives): Physically disconnect the gutter downspouts (or flip your first-flush diverter valve) so no roof runoff can enter your storage tank during the eruption or vog storm. Cover any open top vents or mesh screens on the cistern tank with heavy plastic sheeting so windblown ash cannot blow into the water.
• Step 2 (After Ashfall Ends): Sweep or shovel dry volcanic ash off the roof first (wearing an N95/P100 mask, goggles, and a fall-arrest harness if on a roof), then hose down the roof and gutters with non-drinking water until the runoff runs clear before reconnecting the downspouts to your cistern tank.
• Step 3 (Test Tank Water \(\text{pH}\)): Use an inexpensive swimming-pool or aquarium \(\text{pH}\) test kit or digital \(\text{pH}\) meter to check the water in your cistern tank. Safe household water should have a \(\text{pH}\) between \(6.5\text{ and }8.5\).
• Step 4 (Neutralize Acidic Cistern Water with Baking Soda): If your tank water is acidic (\(\text{pH}\) below \(6.0\)) from vog rain (not heavy ashfall, if heavy fluoride ash washed into the tank, do not drink it without lab testing), you can neutralize the acid and stop lead pipe leaching by dissolving food-grade baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, \(NaHCO_3\)) into the tank at a starting dose of roughly \(50\text{ to }100\text{ grams}\) (\(2\text{ to }3.5\text{ ounces}\), or \(\sim 3\text{ to }6\text{ tablespoons}\)) per \(4,000\text{ liters}\) (\(1,000\text{ gallons}\)) of water, circulating the water, and re-testing the \(\text{pH}\) until it reaches \(7.0\text{ to }7.5\) (or install an inline calcite [calcium carbonate] acid-neutralizing filter).
• Step 5 (Flush Morning Tap Water): In any home with vog exposure, let the cold kitchen faucet run for 60 to 120 seconds every morning before drawing water for drinking or coffee (flushing out any water that sat stagnant absorbing metals inside the house pipes overnight), and use an NSF/ANSI Standard 53 certified lead-removal carbon block filter on your drinking tap.

Cleaning up acidic volcanic ash around your home and vehicle without ruining lungs or engines¶

1. Always dampen volcanic ash lightly with a water spray before sweeping or shoveling on ground level: Dry sweeping launches fine respirable glass particles (\(PM_{2.5}\) and \(PM_{10}\)) straight into your breathing zone. Lightly mist ground-level ash with a garden hose nozzle before shoveling it into heavy-duty plastic bags (exception: NEVER soak thick ash sitting on a flat roof, because wet volcanic ash weighs \(1,500\text{ to }2,000\text{ kilograms per cubic meter}\) [\(2,500\text{ to }3,300\text{ pounds per cubic yard}\)] and collapses roofs; see our volcanoes guide).
2. Neutralize acidic ash on car paint, solar panels, and metal HVAC condensers: Because acidic ash pits automotive clearcoat, corrodes aluminum air-conditioner fins, and blocks solar panels, never wipe dry ash off a car or solar panel with a rag (it acts like 80-grit sandpaper). Instead, hose the surface off with high-volume low-pressure water first, wash with a solution of mild car soap mixed with 2 tablespoons of baking soda per bucket of water to neutralize the sulfuric/hydrochloric acid coating, and rinse clean.
3. Replace vehicle engine air filters and cabin air filters frequently: Fine volcanic glass dust sucked into an internal combustion engine acts as a lapping compound that destroys piston rings and turbochargers within kilometers.

Agricultural, livestock, and clinical fluorosis prevention during acidic ashfall¶

When explosive eruptions deposit even \(1\text{ to }5\text{ millimeters}\) (\(0.04\text{ to }0.2\text{ inches}\)) of fine volcanic ash onto agricultural pastures, gardens, and orchards, the primary chemical threat to food safety and animal life is soluble Hydrogen Fluoride (\(HF\)) and fluoride salts (\(CaF_2\), \(NaF\), \(AlF_3\)) adsorbed onto the exterior of the microscopic ash grains:

1. Why Grazing Sheep, Cattle, and Horses Die of Acute Fluorosis Within 24 to 72 Hours:
2. Ruminants (sheep, goats, dairy and beef cattle, deer) and horses graze close to the soil line and inevitably swallow \(100\text{ to }500+\text{ grams}\) of ash per day along with coated blades of grass and soil.
3. Inside the acidic stomach (abomasum), the hydrofluoric acid coatings dissolve rapidly into the bloodstream. Fluoride ions (\(F^-\)) aggressively bind to circulating calcium (\(Ca^{2+}\)) and magnesium (\(Mg^{2+}\)) ions in the animal's blood, precipitating insoluble calcium fluoride and causing catastrophic acute hypocalcemia (paralysis of skeletal and cardiac muscle), metabolic collapse, seizures, and sudden death.
4. Mandatory Livestock Protocol: Move all grazing livestock into roofed barns, sheds, or small sacrificial dirt paddocks immediately when ashfall begins; cover open stock-watering troughs with tarps; and feed only uncontaminated baled hay, silage, or bagged grain until at least \(25\text{ to }50\text{ millimeters}\) (\(1\text{ to }2\text{ inches}\)) of clean rainfall has washed the fluoride ash off pasture blades into the soil.
5. Home Vegetable Gardens and Fruit Trees:
6. Acidic ash (\(H_2SO_4\) and \(HCl\)) causes brown chemical "acid burn" spots on leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, cabbage, kale, herbs) and lodges inside leaf folds.
7. Discard outer leaves of cabbage/lettuce exposed to heavy acidic ashfall, and wash all smooth-skinned fruits and root vegetables thoroughly in clean water mixed with 1 teaspoon of baking soda per liter, followed by a clean potable water rinse, before eating.

Naamne keewɗe naamneede¶

Why doesn't a standard N95 or P100 dust mask protect you from Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) gas near a volcanic vent?¶

N95, KN95, FFP2, and P100 masks are particulate filters designed to trap solid dust grains and microscopic liquid droplets (like volcanic ash and downwind sulfuric acid vog aerosols) that are roughly 0.1 to 10 micrometers wide. Pure sulfur dioxide (SO2) emitted near a volcanic crater or fissure is a true gas whose individual molecules are roughly 0.0004 micrometers across, nearly a thousand times smaller than the tiniest particles an N95 is rated to catch. Those gas molecules pass right through the open fiber weave of an N95 mask without resistance. To block gaseous SO2, you must wear an elastomeric respirator equipped with chemical Acid Gas (AG) cartridges filled with treated activated carbon/alkaline sorbent, or breathe through a cloth soaked in baking soda and water while evacuating.

What is the difference between volcanic "Vog" and coastal volcanic "Laze"?¶

Vog (volcanic smog) forms anywhere an active volcano vents sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas into the sky: as the plume drifts downwind over hours to days, sunlight, oxygen, and atmospheric moisture react with the SO2 to create a widespread regional haze of fine sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and sulfate aerosol particles (PM2.5). Laze (lava haze), by contrast, is a localized, brilliant-white coastal plume that forms only where red-hot molten lava pours directly into ocean seawater: the extreme heat boils and splits sea salts (magnesium and sodium chloride) into concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) mist (pH 1.5 to 2.0) mixed with needle-sharp fragments of shattered volcanic glass.

How does volcanic smog (vog) or acid rain cause lead poisoning in household drinking water?¶

In regions where homes collect rainwater from their roofs into storage cisterns, sulfur dioxide and acid aerosols from volcanic plumes dissolve into raindrops and settle onto roof surfaces, turning the collected rainwater acidic (often pH 3.0 to 4.5). When this acidic water runs over lead roof flashings, lead-headed roofing nails, certain galvanized roof coatings, or sits inside household plumbing pipes joined with older lead-tin solder, the acid chemically dissolves toxic lead and copper straight into the drinking water. Disconnecting downspouts during plumes, neutralizing cistern water to pH 7.0 with food-grade baking soda or calcite filters, and using an NSF-53 lead-certified tap filter prevents exposure.

Why do my eyes burn so badly in volcanic ash or vog, and why is rubbing them so dangerous?¶

Volcanic plumes attack the eyes with a combination of chemical acid and physical glass. First, sulfur dioxide gas and sulfuric acid vog droplets dissolve into the tear film of your eyes to form weak sulfurous and sulfuric acid, causing an immediate stinging and burning reflex. Second, volcanic ash consists of microscopic, razor-sharp splinters of shattered silicate glass. If you rub your stinging eyes with your fingers, or if you are wearing contact lenses that trap ash grains against your eyeball, you physically grind those microscopic glass shards into the surface of your cornea, causing severe corneal abrasions. Always remove contact lenses, wear sealed goggles, and flush burning eyes by pouring clean water or sterile saline for 15 minutes without rubbing.

Fuɗɗoode ƴeewtaama¶

• United States Geological Survey (USGS) Volcano Hazards Program and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO): Volcanic Smog (Vog), Sulfur Dioxide (\(SO_2\)) Gas Plume Dispersion, and Acidic Volcanic Ash Chemical Leachate Studies.
• International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN), World Health Organization (WHO), and Durham University: The Health Hazards of Volcanic Ash: A Guide for the Public, Guidelines on Protection from Volcanic Gases and Acid Rain, and Respirator Selection Matrices.
• Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) and University of Hawaii at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR): Short-Term Sulfur Dioxide (\(SO_2\)) Color-Coded Air Quality Advisory Thresholds and Guidelines for Rainwater Catchment Systems in Volcanic Vog and Ash Zones.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC / NIOSH, United States): NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Sulfur Dioxide (\(SO_2\)), Sulfuric Acid (\(H_2SO_4\)), and Hydrogen Fluoride (\(HF\)) Respirator Cartridge Standards.
• Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO / Veðurstofa Íslands) and Directorate of Health (Embætti landlæknis): Volcanic Gas Pollution (\(SO_2\) and \(H_2S\)) Public Response Tables and Indoor Shelter-in-Place Protocols.

Ardiiɓe jokkondirɓe¶

• Volcanoes: ashfall, pyroclastic flows, and lahars
• Duule gaasuuji ɓuuɓɗi, ɓuuɓol laze, e ɓuuɓol limnic
• Cumu ladde e fooftere cumu
• Asthma attack emergency first aid
• Eye injuries and chemical flushing