Human Health Impacts - EPA has considerable expertise on the potential health impacts from ash or chemicals released from volcanoes. In its mission to protect human health and the environment, EPA may be involved in the monitoring of environmental conditions, assessing potential health impacts, or responding to hazardous materials emergencies that may arise as a result of an eruption. For water and wastewater facilities: Emergency Response for Water and Wastewater Utilities.Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution.Basic information about particle pollution.Particle pollution (particulate matter):.Current air quality (ozone, particulates).Recover from a volcanic eruption Health issues: Suggested activities to help facilities prepare. Kileaua Eruption Air Monitoring viewer map.Information about Air Quality, from Hawaii Interagency Dashboard.Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Daily Update, from USGS.Prepare for a volcanic eruption General preparation: Ash can be hazardous to grazing livestock and can damage or force the shutdown of drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities by clogging or damaging equipment. Ash can also get in your eyes and scratch them, especially when it's windy. Although ash is not highly toxic, it can trouble infants, the elderly, and those with respiratory ailments. Fresh volcanic ash is gritty, abrasive, sometimes corrosive, and always unpleasant. Volcanic ash can travel hundreds to thousands of miles downwind from a volcano. These gases can come from lava flows as well as a volcano that erupts violently. Locally, sulfur dioxide gas can lead to acid rain and air pollution downwind from a volcano. Volcanic gases that pose the greatest potential hazards are sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen fluoride. ALWAYS CALL 911 if you are in immediate danger and need emergency help.
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