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Under the volcano: fire, ash and asthma?

L Bradshaw1, D Fishwick, T Kemp

  • 1Department of Medicine, Wellington School of Medicine.

The New Zealand Medical Journal
|March 28, 1997
PubMed
Summary
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This study found no link between volcanic ash exposure and asthma symptoms in New Zealand asthmatics. Respiratory issues and medication use remained similar between exposed and non-exposed groups.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Airborne volcanic ash poses potential respiratory risks.
  • Asthma exacerbations can be triggered by environmental pollutants.
  • The 1995 Mount Ruapehu eruptions provided a unique exposure event.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in asthmatics exposed to volcanic ash.
  • To determine if volcanic ash exposure affects asthma medication use.
  • To investigate the association between volcanic ash and asthma exacerbations.

Main Methods:

  • A postal questionnaire was administered to 1155 identified asthmatics.
  • Participants were categorized into exposed (361) and non-exposed (794) areas.

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  • Response rates were 68.1% in the exposed group and 60.1% in the non-exposed group.

    • Main Results:

    • No significant difference in asthma attacks (OR = 0.96) or medication use (OR = 0.83) between groups.
    • A slight, non-significant increase in nocturnal shortness of breath was observed in the exposed group (OR = 1.26).
    • Prevalence of nocturnal shortness of breath was 29.3% in exposed vs. 24.7% in non-exposed.

    Conclusions:

    • Living in volcanic ash-exposed areas showed no association with asthma symptoms or medication use.
    • Volcanic ash particles did not appear to trigger significant asthma exacerbations in this population.
    • Further research may be needed to explore subtle respiratory effects of volcanic ash.