Iceland Volcano

Europeans should probably be more concerned with big-time polluters like GlaxoSmithKline, Atofina, and BASF than ash from Iceland, although I can certainly understand why those with health conditions might be asking the question.

Jo, your second response was much nicer.

You did indeed come across snarky on your first response.

We lived "downwind" from Mt. St. Helens when it erupted in a huge cloud of ash 30 years ago. The ash was dreadful when it started to fall on our community, and no one knew whether or not it was dangerous. So we all kept our children and pets indoors for days, and drove little if at all. When we did go outside (which I had to, in order to take care of livestock in the barn) we covered nose and mouth with a bandanna or face mask.

In the end, they decided the ash wasn't dangerous, except possibly to those with existing respiratory problems. It persisted for months, getting stirred up from various places, but no one I knew even developed a cough.

No reason to be snarky, it's a legitimate question. Last year there was serious forest fire in the US, because of atmospheric conditions the smoke stayed close to the ground and traveled a thousand miles. Those with respiratory problems (like Asthma) who were in the path of the smoke were advised to stay indoors for a few days.

But fortunately in this case the Iceland Volcando shouldn't cause any respiratory problems:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/16/europe.volcano.health/index.html

Jo...SUFFERING!

Michael,

Great article. Thanks.

We still have a small Ziploc bag with ash from the Mount St. Helens eruption, dusted from the family car 1000 miles east-southeast of Seattle. Frankfurt is what…maybe 1400 miles from Iceland…it seems likely that a dusting of ash could fall there eventually.

As Michael points out, ash can drift a thousand miles or more before falling. We were around 400 miles downwind (east) at the time, not in Seattle. (Seattle didn't get any ash at all, just as Reykjavik hasn't been affected).

My point was simply that it is not a tremendous health hazard to people on the ground, as Darlene fears.