Severe volcanic SO2 exposure and respiratory morbidity in the Icelandic population – a register study

• Main Authors: Carlsen, Hanne Krage, Valdimarsdóttir, Unnur, Briem, Haraldur, Dominici, Francesca, Finnbjornsdottir, Ragnhildur Gudrun, Thorsteinn Jóhannsson, Aspelund, Thor, Thorarinn Gislason, Thorolfur Gudnason
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: figshare 2021
• Subjects: Medicine; Biotechnology; 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; FOS Earth and related environmental sciences; 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; FOS Biological sciences; Cancer; Science Policy; Reykjavík; Holuhraun
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5321711; https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Severe_volcanic_SO2_exposure_and_respiratory_morbidity_in_the_Icelandic_population_a_register_study/5321711

Abstract Background The Holuhraun volcanic eruption September 2014 to February 2015 emitted large amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO2). The aim of this study was to determine the association between volcanic SO2 gases on general population respiratory health some 250 km from the eruption site, in the Icelandic capital area. Methods Respiratory health outcomes were: asthma medication dispensing (AMD) from the Icelandic Medicines Register, medical doctor consultations in primary care (PCMD) and hospital emergency department visits (HED) in Reykjavík (population: 215000) for respiratory disease from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2014. The associations between daily counts of health events and daily mean SO2 concentration and high SO2 levels (24-h mean SO2 > 125 μg/m3) were analysed using generalized additive models. Results After the eruption began, AMD was higher than before (129.4 vs. 158.4 individuals per day, p