¿Son las cenizas volcánicas un riesgo para la salud respiratoria?: Revisión a propósito de la erupción del cordón del Caulle en junio de 2011

Abstract

Chile is a volcanic country with over 500 active volcanoes. Mounts Llaima and Villarrica are\ramong the four most active volcanoes in South America. Activation or reactivation of a volcano is an\runpredictable phenomenon and its impact can be catastrophic. Volcanic eruptions can trigger a variety\rof hazardous events, such as explosions, pyroclastic flows, mudflows, acid rain, climatic effects, among\rothers. The impact of a volcanic eruption on human health depends on the type of eruption at which\rinhabitants have been exposed, the duration of this exposure and the previous health conditions of the\rexposed people. Some of these effects on human health are well known, such as burns, trauma, and\rrespiratory disorders. In acute as well as in long term exposure, some of the respiratory health effects\rare still a matter of controversy and research on the mechanisms involved. Among the main adverse\reffects described in the respiratory tract are bronchoconstriction, amplification of the inflammatory\rresponse, complement disorders, silicosis and carcinogenesis. Considering the recent volcano eruptions\rof mount Chaitén (2008) and the cord of Caulle (2011) located in the south of Chile, we reviewed the\rdeleterious effects of volcanic eruptions on human health and specifically on the respiratory system.\rThroughout this review we enclosed a number of recommendations, hopefully they will be useful in\rfacing new volcanic eruptions in our country and everywhere.\rKey words: Volcanic eruptions, volcanic ashes, human health, lung disease