Vog: Hawaii’s Quiet Natural Disaster

It’s not front-page national news.  And the story is probably not the hot topic around the water cooler.  But for the people living in Hawaii, vog has become an absolute nightmare.  Vog, or volcanic smog, is a mix of noxious sulfur dioxide (S02) gas and other pollutants that are being emitted by the ton from Kilauea Volcano on the Island of Hawaii. 

Air pollution caused by SO2 and other gases emitted from Kilauea became a frequent problem on the Island of Hawaii in 1986.  Before that time, the volcano’s ongoing eruption, which began in 1983, consisted of short periods of lava spurting about once every 3 weeks.  Since then, the flow of magma to the surface has been more pronounced, creating a quiet but constant outflow of poisonous gases.

But in March of 2008, Hawaii’s vog situation worsened.  Three distinct explosions marked the first explosive eruption in the Halema crater since 1924, when a 20–30 metre (65–100 foot) diameter hole was blown in its side.   Sulfur dioxide gas emissions increased rapidly.  On March 13, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) recorded a rate of 2,000 tons of sulfur dioxide emitted per day— the highest rate since measurements began in 1979.

The effects have been paralyzing.  Residents have been reporting physical complaints such as headaches, breathing difficulties, respiratory difficulties, watery eyes, sore throat and other flu-like symptoms.  Children, the elderly and those with pre-existing respiratory ailments have been those hardest hit. 

Residents experiencing respiratory difficulties, who have lived on the island for generations, are being told by doctors to leave.  The financial loss for farmers is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Hospitals are scrambling to provide patients with safe hospital air, with one in Pahala estimating it would cost the hospital $4.7 million for proper air filtration. 

The pressure is on, and while a special vog committee has been created to debate the situation, no immediate solution has been found.  And unlike the tsunamis that effected South East Asia, the floods in New Orleans and the wildfires in California, Hawaii’s natural disaster is relatively… quiet news.  Except, of course, to those living on the Big Island, Oahu, Pahala and other affected areas. 

As Hawaiians search for a solution, many are turning to air purifiers to purify their indoor air.  But in the haste to eliminate the S02 that is created when volcanic gases mix with oxygen and moisture in the presence of sunlight, many are simply grasping for the wrong ones. 

Indoor Air Quality Expert and biochemical engineer, Karen Hand says that while taking proactive measures to ensure one’s own health is critical, choosing the right tool for the job is also essential. 

“When you’re dealing with vog, the composition is primarily of sulfuric acid and other sulfate compounds, but you’re also dealing with small amounts of toxic metals, including selenium, mercury, arsenic and iridium,” said Hand.  “The fact that people are having serious health reactions to this is not surprising—it’s a deadly combination.” 

Hand says only air purifiers combing a HEPA filter and large amounts (at least 18 pounds) of activated, granular carbon will be effective in adsorbing the the noxious sulfur dioxide and other pollutants emitted from Kilauea Volcano. 

“The worst part about these natural disasters is when you see people taking the appropriate steps to protect themselves and their families, but a lack of information and resources leads them to make the wrong decision,” Hand said.  “Not only are people wasting money on purchasing the wrong type of air cleaners, but the cleaners are also ineffective in providing a healthy and safe environment.  It’s a lose-lose situation.” 

Hand works with a team of Indoor Quality Experts at AllerAir Industries, an air purifying company that has been designing air cleaners for close to 20 years.  “Crisis management is our forte,” she said.  “We’ve delivered solutions to mold victims in New Orleans, wildfire victims in California—even air quality solutions to athletes participating in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.  Chemical and gas remediation is what we do.” 

Vog victims are invited to contact one of AllerAir Indoor Air Quality Experts at 888-852-8247 or visit their www.allerair.com website for more information of the dangers of vog, and finding the right air purifying solution.