Dear Doc
With all the volcanic ash we are constantly breathing in, even though we are wearing masks, how will those fine particles affect our nostrils and membranes? Sometimes I can feel the dust between my teeth and it feels crunchy. That can’t be good. Will it affect our stomach? Could it lead to cancer?
Would it affect people who already have bad health conditions? – Scared Dear Concerned Citizen,
We find ourselves in unprecedented times, facing the effects of a pandemic and that of volcanic ash. According to a study by Covey, J ; Horwell; Rachmawati et al 2019. Around 600 million people around the world live in areas potentially affected by volcanic hazards. During a volcanic crisis, populations may be evacuated to remove them from life-threatening hazards (e.g., pyroclastic flows), but they may still be exposed to potentially hazardous airborne volcanic emissions.
Volcanic ash is a pervasive hazard, with distribution potentially over thousands of square kilometres.
Inhalation of the ash can exacerbate existing asthma and bronchitis symptoms as well as respiratory symptoms such as cough and breathlessness [2,3]. The respiratory health hazard of the volcanic ash does, however, depend upon its physicochemical composition which can vary substantially among eruptions and even within a single eruption sequence.
There is limited evidence on the clinical effects of this exposure; however, the main component of ash silica is associated with a lung disease known as silicosis after prolonged exposure.
The good news however, is that a study by Murwell, Horwell & Apley et al.
conducted in 2018, looking at filtration efficiency when exposed to ash from three different ash types ( Japan, Montserrat, and aluminum oxide) using various barriers showed 98% efficiency when using the N95 mask and surgical masks showed 91% effectiveness.
These studies specifically looked at the use of masks during active ashfall, which appears to be the time of most harm. We have to consider that these studies do not quantify the amount of exposure to ash nor do they look at the amount of exposure to symptoms.
So in truth, this question cannot be adequately answered. However, I will end by stating that N95 masks should provide over 95% efficiency in filtering ash.
