Volcanoes Case

Assignment #29

Question: Do natural events such as volcanoes; cause any long term health problems?

Source #1: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/health/

In the first article I read there was a short paragraph on the health effects that a volcano can cause. According to the author the volcanic ash resulting from a volcanic eruption can lead to serious health problems. People who are exposed to the ash which fills the air after a volcanic eruption may experience some serious throat and eye symptoms. Many people are usually concerned because volcanic ash is made up of many minerals including quartz, cristobalite, or tridymite. Breathing in the ash can lead to the serious and fatal lung disease known as Crystalline Silica. Though miners are usually most likely to catch Crystalline Silica, anybody who is exposed to the ash is at risk of catching the disease. Volcanic ash can be dangerous if breathed in deeply but the results are not always fatal.

Source #2: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36595264/ns/health-health_care/t/fallen-volcano-ash-could-pose-health-risk/

In the second article I read the author writes about the risks that may come from breathing in volcanic ash, but stresses that the outcome is not as fatal as some people and doctors make it out to be. The concentration of volcanic particles that might settle on the ground was likely to be low and should not cause serious harm, says Britain's Health Protection Agency. The author also states that by the time the ash reaches ground level it is so dilated by the wind that breathing it in is not dangerous. Unless the people are close the volcano then the ash should not affect any person negatively. Once again, the ash resulting from a volcanic eruption can be harmful but are not always fatal.

My Thoughts:

Both articles show that the health risks of breathing in volcanic ash can be harmful and at times fatal, but it fully depends on who breathes it in and the amount that was breathed in. A person with asthma who lives within fifty miles from where the volcano erupted will be much more negatively affected by the ash than a person who does not have asthma and who lives one hundred miles away from the scene. I agree with both authors but I feel that the second author really let his readers know that breathing in a small amount of volcanic ash will not kill them. Before reading both articles I believed that any person who breathed in volcanic ash would endure serious health issues because the media does exaggerate and scare people more than they should, as the second article stated. Now I know that if I ever breathe in a small amount of volcanic ash it will feel a bit uncomfortable to breathe for a few weeks, but I will not die nor will I have to face a life long illness that could potentially kill