An historic subplinian/phreatomagmatic eruption: the 1630 AD eruption of Furnas volcano, Sa˜o Miguel, Azores

Rodrigues

2007

Environmental Research

The village of Furnas, like other active volcanic areas in the world, exhibits high levels of hazardous gases. We aimed to investigate the existence of a possible association between chronic exposure to volcanic sulfur gases and chronic bronchitis. To investigate this, we used two populations, one exposed to active manifestations of volcanism (Furnas) and another from an area where no volcanic activity took place for over three million years (Santa Maria), both in the Azores. We used data on the incidence of chronic bronchitis among both populations (1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001), obtained from the records of each local health center, and population denominators from censuses carried out in 1991 and 2001, using five age-groups. We also estimated relative risks and mean annual age-standardized rates of chronic bronchitis incidence. Incidence rates were extremely higher in the volcanically active area for both sexes, and especially in the youngest groups. Accordingly, the risk of chronic bronchitis for the people living in the volcanically active area was extremely higher (males RR ¼ 3.99; females RR ¼ 10.74) when compared to those living in the volcanically inactive area. Comparison of chronic bronchitis incidence rates between both populations suggests an association between this disease and the chronic exposure to the volcanically active environment, with all its hazardous gases like hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. These findings may help health officials to better advice people inhabiting volcanic areas, or others with high levels of sulfur gases, on how to prevent and minimize the risks of chronic bronchitis. r

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic exposure to volcanic environments and chronic bronchitis incidence in the Azores, Portugal

Rodrigues

2007

Environmental Research

“…São Miguel, which is the largest island (757 km 2 ), has its geology dominated by three volcanic cores that correspond to the major active volcanoes of Sete Cidades, Fogo and Furnas, linked by rift zones. Furnas is the easternmost of the three active volcanoes on the island São Miguel, where the last eruption occurred at 1630 AD (Cole et al, 1995). In the presence of fumarolic fields and hydrothermal vents, the village of Furnas is built upon actively degassing ground inside Furnas caldera and has a population of about 1541 inhabitants (Serviço Regional de Estatística, 2003).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic exposure to volcanic environments and cancer incidence in the Azores, Portugal

Science of The Total Environment

Rodrigues

Oliveira³

et al. 2006

Whether volcanic environments pose a risk in cancer incidence is unknown. We investigated this question in two populations, one from an area with active manifestations of volcanism (Furnas) and another from an area without volcanic activity since 3 million years ago (Santa Maria), both in Azores. Incidence data on cancer among the populations of Furnas and Santa Maria during 1991-2001 were obtained from medical records of local health centers. Age-standardized rates and relative risks were estimated. Overall incidence rates were higher in the volcanically active area when observing all cancers and both sexes combined. However, the non-volcanically active area presented higher rates of cancer of digestive, respiratory and intrathoracic organs, mainly in males, while the area with volcanic manifestations showed higher rates of cancer of lip, oral cavity and pharynx, in both sexes, and female breast. Relative risk estimates between both populations suggest a higher risk for cancer in some groups of organs in Furnas, especially of lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancer, and breast, that may be partially explained by the chronic exposure to environmental factors resulting from volcanic activity, such as hazardous gases and aerosols, much of them associated to trace metals.

“…Presenting fumarolic fields and hydrothermal vents (Booth et al, 1978;Cruz, 2003), and the always present "rotten egg" odor, the rural village of Furnas, in S. Miguel Island, is built upon actively degassing ground inside a volcanic caldera (Baxter et al, 1999), where the last eruption occurred at 1630 AD (Cole et al, 1995). This village has about 1541 inhabitants (Serviço Regional de Estatística dos Açores, 2003), where the age groups 0-14, 15-24, 25-44, 45-64, and over 64 represent 22%, 16%, 27%, 19%, and 16% of the local population, respectively.…”

Section: Study Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Essential and non-essential trace metals in scalp hair of men chronically exposed to volcanogenic metals in the Azores, Portugal

Environment International

Arruda

Cabral

et al. 2008

This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues.Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. Volcanoes produce and release large amounts of toxicants, and the concentration of metals in hair can be used as a biomarker of exposure to trace metals. In order to investigate whether humans exposed to volcanic emissions demonstrate higher concentrations of essential and non-essential trace metals, scalp hair of men (3-89 years) living in two areas of the Azores, one exposed to volcanic emissions and the other not, was sampled, and their content in Cd, Cu, Pb, Rb, Se, and Zn was quantified by using High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. In average, men exposed to volcanic emissions presented higher concentrations of Cd (96.9 ppb), Cu (16.2 ppm), Pb (3417.6 ppb), Rb (216.3 ppb), and Zn (242.8 ppm), but not Se (469.6 ppb). Also, strong and significant correlations were found between Cd-Rb and Pb-Rb in the exposed men. In conclusion, humans living chronically exposed to volcanic emissions show high concentrations of essential and non-essential trace metals in scalp hair, and is suggested that this type of exposure may be as harmful as living close to industrial facilities. A B S T R A C T A R T I C L E I N F O