Characterization of Eyjafjallajokull volcanic ash particles and a protocol for rapid risk assessment.

ABSTRACT: On April 14, 2010, when meltwaters from the Eyjafjallajökull glacier mixed with hot magma, an explosive eruption sent unusually fine-grained ash into the jet stream. It quickly dispersed over Europe. Previous airplane encounters with ash resulted in sandblasted windows and particles melted inside jet engines, causing them to fail. Therefore, air traffic was grounded for several days. Concerns also arose about health risks from fallout, because ash can transport acids as well as toxic compounds, such as fluoride, aluminum, and arsenic. Studies on ash are usually made on material collected far from the source, where it could have mixed with other atmospheric particles, or after exposure to water as rain or fog, which would alter surface composition. For this study, a unique set of dry ash sa

SUBMITTER: Gislason SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3088604 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature