The volcano erupted, health alert issued! Etna's ash targets lungs
Increasing activity at Mount Etna on Italy's Sicily Island has also triggered a health alert for residents. It was noted that microscopic ash particles dispersed into the air can reach deep into the lungs, and that the risk is heightened for children, the elderly, and those with chronic respiratory disease.
Emilia Privitera, who lives in the town of Nicolosi in Sicily, sought medical help in 2021 due to a severe cough that persisted for days and a wheeze that appeared when breathing. Initially thinking she had caught COVID‑19 again, Privitera's test came back negative. However, after the symptoms failed to subside for weeks, investigations revealed that extremely fine volcanic ash particles had reached her lungs.
Privitera says she experiences similar breathing problems whenever Etna is active and that many people in the area are affected by ash.
Ash Particles Reach the Depths of the Lungs
Volcanic ash contains very fine particles made of rock, mineral, and volcanic glass. In particular, the smallest particles can be re‑entrained by wind and vehicle movement, allowing them to reach deep lung regions through inhalation.
Studies of Etna's major eruptions in 2002 also found increased hospital visits during eruption periods for acute respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disorders, and eye irritation.
Children and Chronic Patients Face Greater Risk
Experts warn that fine ash particles can cause inflammation and irritation in the lungs. Children, the elderly, and people with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma may be more affected by ash exposure.
Chest disease and allergy specialist Nunzio Crimi, who is stationed in Katanya, says he received many calls from patients with allergic asthma and chronic bronchopneumonia during the recent eruptions.
The Sicily Civil Protection Department also reported an increase in emergency department visits following the eruptions at the beginning of August. Patients were reported to have complaints such as cough, runny nose, sneezing, eye irritation, and conjunctivitis.
Ash is also dangerous for animals.
The effects of volcanic ash are not limited to humans. It is said that the fluoride in the ash can cause serious problems with the digestive system and bone structure in animals.
In particular, ash lingering on farmland for extended periods can lead grazing animals to consume large amounts of ash, thereby increasing the risk of poisoning.
Cleaning Studies May Create New Risks
The other complaint of residents in the area is that volcanic ash does not gather quickly enough. The cleaning of ash that has settled on streets and walls with air blowers can cause the particles to mix back into the air.
Experts are urging that masks be worn during heavy dust fall and that suitable cleaning methods be chosen to prevent the dust from being re‑aerated.
Etna Külü could be a boon for the economy.
Researchers from Sicily argue that the freshly deposited volcanic ash should not be regarded merely as waste that merely needs to be cleaned. Researchers from Katanya University say that the mineral‑rich ash can be used as a raw material in various sectors, beginning with the construction industry.
The Sicily Regional Administration opened the way for volcanic ash, which had been classified as hazardous waste, to be regarded as a reusable raw material through a regulation enacted in March.
According to experts, this method can help reduce the amount of particles that accumulate in the environment and later re-enter the air, while at the same time allowing the ash to gain economic value.
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