Kilauea ranks as Hawaii’s
worst polluter

VOLCANO, Hawaii » Kilauea volcano, one of Hawaii's most popular tourist attractions, is also, by far, the state's worst air polluter.

Since it began erupting on Jan. 3, 1983, the volcano has been sending 1,000 metric tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere on an average day, according to the Hawaii chapter of the American Lung Association.

This is 6,000 times greater than the amount emitted by a major industrial polluter on the mainland, making Kilauea the nation's top producer of sulfur dioxide.

The sulfur dioxide from Kilauea reacts with other chemicals in the air to form a hazy, naturally occurring type of air pollution known locally as "vog," or volcanic smog. When the lava enters the ocean, concentrations of hydrochloric acid are also formed.

Winds can blow Hawaii vog hundreds of miles and adversely affect the air quality on other islands in the Hawaiian chain.

The earliest mention of vog in the press were in 1950. Most of these early reports mentioned eye irritation and allergy-like symptoms, but generally implied the condition was benign.

Yet, by the mid-1980s, Hawaii had the highest asthma death rate in the country, according to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Although research teams have conducted a number of studies over the past two decades, definitive conclusions on vog dangers have yet to emerge.

Even without extensive scientific data, Big Island residents have long suspected that vog exposure is dangerous. During "bad air days," schools routinely keep asthmatics and other sensitive students indoors and sometimes cancel outdoor sporting events.

In addition, the U.S. Geological Service and the National Park Service have developed a real-time sulfur dioxide monitoring and advisory plan to help alert visitors and workers near the Kilauea caldera in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

According to a 1995 vog symposium report issued by the Hawaii Department of Health, "State and federal ambient air quality standards are not being exceeded in Kona or other areas of the Big Island, even under the worst conditions.

Two in-progress studies also are looking at the issue.

Oregon State University researchers measured vog levels downwind of Kilauea during a three-week period in August 2003. Lead author Bernadette Longo, a recent OSU doctoral graduate in public health, said that elevated sulfur dioxide levels can cause bronchial irritation and trigger asthma attacks in vulnerable individuals.

The first part of the study was published in the March issue of the journal Geology.

But to date there has been little hard scientific evidence that vog is a primary cause of respiratory problems on the Big Island.

Dr. Elizabeth Tam, a pulmonologist at the University of Hawaii-Manoa school of medicine, is currently conducting a five-year study on the possibility of a direct link.

Since 2002, community researcher teams have been taking bi-weekly air quality measurements at four to five locations throughout the island. They also are monitoring approximately 2,000 Big Island elementary school students over a four-year period.

The highest levels in Kona are lower than average levels in Monterey, Calif., she said.