Mount Sinabung Eruption: People Warned of Volcanic Ashfall; What are Its Effect on Human Health?

Mount Sinabung in Indonesia has erupted on Friday, May 7, spewing a thick column of ash that reaches 1.7 miles (2.8 kilometers) into the sky.

Phys.org reported that villages in North Sumatra near the volcano had been relocated after the past eruptions of Mount Sinabung in the last few years.

The present volcanic eruption has no further evacuations or casualties, but people are advised to stay 1.7 miles (5 kilometers) away from the volcano's crater and be aware of ashfall and a possible avalanche of volcanic debris.

Armen Putra, an official at the Sinabung monitoring post, said that they have been monitoring 15 smaller eruptions in the past week, so a potential volcanic eruption is still high ad more will probably come in the future.

Mount Sinabung Eruption Timeline

Indonesia's Mount Sinabung is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. Over the past years, more than 30,000 people were forced to leave the area near the volcano.

Mount Sinabung is one of the 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia that belongs to the Ring of Fire, a string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity or earthquakes around the edges of the Pacific Ocean.

According to the timeline posted in Research Gate, Mount Sinabung was declared a dormant volcano for 400 years until it erupted in 2010.

Since the volcanic eruption was so sudden, communities living near Mount Sinabung were not prepared and suffered damages in their farmlands and community livelihood sources. Farmers in the area were the most aggravated by the volcanic eruption.

Then it erupted again in 2013, wherein 3,000 people were evacuated in September, and 5,000 people were evacuated again in November. By December, a lava dome has formed on Mount Sinabung's summit.

The volcano continued to become active since its eruption in 2010, killing nine people in May 2016 and recording pyroclastic flows and ash plums. In 2017, the volcano erupted almost every month.

ALSO READ: 'Ghost Villages' Found In Indonesia After Volcano Eruption

Ashfall Effect on Health

Indonesia's rumbling volcano has recently recorded 1.7 miles (2.8 kilometers) thick column of ash, which could cause adverse effects on human health. So, what makes volcanic ashfall dangerous to communities and human lives?

According to the Volcanic Ashfall impacts Working Group, short-term effects of exposure to volcanic eruption include eye irritation, discomfort to upper airways, and exacerbation of pre-existing respiratory conditions, like asthma and some serious health problems.

This is why people are advised to evacuate areas near the eruption site to avoid unnecessary exposure. Wearing face masks is also advised to reduce inhalation of ash particles, especially those with respiratory problems.

Moreover, prolonged exposure to inhalable crystalline silica could increase the risk of developing silicosis or other chronic lung diseases. But if foreign bodies from the volcanic eruption enter the eyes, it could cause corneal abrasion and conjunctivitis.

Additionally, volcanic eruption and thick ashfall could also cause psychological trauma and death due to ash accumulation on the roof that could make it collapse.