Respiratory impacts of earthquakes

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Occupational Health
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Earthquakes cause widespread destruction, releasing hazardous airborne particles.
• Exposure to these particles poses significant respiratory health risks to survivors, rescue workers, and volunteers.
• Existing literature often underrepresents specific exposure patterns and long-term respiratory effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review environmental and occupational exposures following earthquakes.
• To analyze the short- and long-term respiratory consequences of these exposures.
• To incorporate recent data from the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes to highlight underrepresented exposure patterns.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of existing literature on post-earthquake exposures and respiratory health.
• Inclusion of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) measurements from the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes.
• Analysis of findings within a public health framework.

Main Results:

• Post-earthquake environments contain hazardous dust, fibers, microbes, and toxic particles.
• Exposures can lead to acute and chronic respiratory conditions, including exacerbation of existing lung diseases.
• Specific exposure patterns from the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes provide new insights.

Conclusions:

• Post-earthquake respiratory risks are substantial and multifaceted.
• Understanding these risks is crucial for developing effective public health interventions.
• Findings inform risk reduction, preparedness, and mitigation strategies for earthquake-affected communities.