How do you cope with vog?

A new study is underway focusing on the coping mechanisms used by the folks affected the most by volcanic gas emissions — the people who live downwind of Kilauea Volcano.

Claire Horwell, director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network and a researcher at Durham University in the United Kingdom, is looking to communities to learn how they deal with vog in an effort to help agencies update and improve the official advice currently available about the topic.

The three-month study, funded by the British Council under the Research Links initiative, is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Vog is the pollution formed from acidic gases and particles emitted from active volcanoes, and is composed primarily of sulfur dioxide gas and its oxidation products, such as sulfate aerosol.

Depending on which way the wind is blowing, the vog from Kilauea — now in its 33rd year of nearly continuous eruption — can spread out far and wide, irritating people across the island chain.

The volcanic smog expresses itself in a visible haze or as a sulfurous smell or taste, with those exposed reporting symptoms that include coughing, runny noses, sore throats and headaches.

But the greatest challenge is to the people and agricultural concerns found just downwind of Kilauea, and that is where Horwell is focusing her study.

The state Department of Health and the American Lung Association offer coping advice that includes staying indoors and limiting physical activity when vog levels are high. But Horwell said the guidance is applicable to anyone exposed to air pollution in general and is not specific to vog or Hawaii.

Horwell said she chose to conduct her study on Hawaii island because its residents have been exposed to vog for decades, and it’s likely they will have developed their own strategies for protecting themselves.

The researcher is conducting focus groups on Hawaii island and will conduct surveys in communities regularly affected by vog, including Volcano, Pahala, Ocean View and South Kona. She said she hopes to survey at least 200 people.

Already, she has heard strategies that include frequent washing of hands and face; drinking lots of water, tea and other drinks; and using saline solution for sinus problems. She said there may be different techniques for different locations, depending on severity of exposure.

Knowledge gained from the study will be relevant internationally, she said, and not just in volcanically active regions. Volcanic gases can travel downwind for many miles, and government agencies in the United Kingdom, for example, can draw on the Hawaii study as they brace for the potential effects of future Icelandic eruptions.

Results of the study eventually will be available online through the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (www.ivhhn.org), which serves as a clearinghouse for information on the health impacts of volcanic eruptions and provides detailed information on volcanic gas and particle impacts.

Horwell said she is working with state and county agencies with the goal of providing consistent online advice. She also plans to create a pamphlet on vog exposure and protection and provide updated guidance on how to access resources about vog.

Hawaii residents are being encouraged to share their experiences coping with vog on the Vog Talk Facebook page started by Horwell.

Community surveys will be conducted through the end of March. Information on when and where to participate will be available on the Facebook page or by calling 967-8809.