High-quality air filters might help with vog from volcano

Question: I tend to wheeze a bit when the air is bad and am feeling the vog, even though I don’t live on the Big Island. I’ve managed OK so far but am thinking about getting an air purifier for my home. I am wondering whether they really work on vog, though. Do they?

Answer: First, if you are suffering asthma-like symptoms and are not already under a doctor’s care, you should seek medical treatment right away. People with respiratory conditions are most likely to be affected by vog, the hazy air pollution (volcanic smog/fog) caused by the ongoing eruption of Kilauea Volcano.

High-quality room air cleaners can be effective, as long as they are properly used and maintained, according to the Hawaii Interagency Vog Dashboard, a partnership of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network and several U.S., state and county agencies.

The dashboard explains that vog is primarily water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas. As SO2 is released from Kilauea’s summit and eruptive vents, “it reacts in the atmosphere with oxygen, sunlight, moisture and other gases and particles and, within hours to days, converts to fine particles, which scatter sunlight, causing the visible haze.” Areas far downwind from the eruption, including Oahu, are mostly affected by the fine particles. Areas closer to the eruption can be exposed to both SO2 gas and fine particles. (In vog the fine particles consist of particulates less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, smaller than the width of a human hair. They are referred to as PM2.5.)

A high-quality room air cleaner can reduce levels of SO2 and/or PM2.5 from the air, according to the dashboard. Most filtering units are designed to work in a limited space, such as a bedroom or home office that can be closed off from the rest of the house and from the outdoors.

“Those living close to eruptive vents need protection from both SO2 and PM2.5, so will need a specialized air cleaner which has both a HEPA (PM2.5) filter and an acid gas (SO2) filter (e.g. activated carbon or other sorbent). Those living further from the vent can use an air cleaner designed to filter fine particles only (HEPA) since they are not exposed to substantial amounts of SO2,” the dashboard states.

So in your case, living on Oahu, a room air cleaner with a HEPA filter might suffice. They are widely available in a broad price range. The dashboard notes that high-quality ones can be expensive. You can read more about this on the dashboard, at 808ne.ws/airpur. The website includes links to sites with particular brands and a tool to help calculate what size you need, based on the dimensions of the room in which you will use it.

Auwe

It was very irritating to see a woman with two little barking, yelping, scrabbling dogs in a red stroller disturbing many shoppers. … I am bothered and disgusted by folks who bring their “comfort” dogs into restaurants and stores. Most are quiet and well behaved, but they still shouldn’t be there! This incident bothered lots of folks. I noticed that the woman got irritated looks from fellow shoppers, but she seemed totally unaware. These were obviously pets and not service dogs. Leave the dogs at home! — J.W.

Mahalo

Big mahalo to whoever found my glasses in Manoa near Woodlawn Drive and Loi Street. I had dropped them while walking my auntie’s dog. The next day I retraced my steps praying I would find them. A kind person had placed them on top of a wall near the sidewalk. Thank you so much! God bless! — Gratefully, a Manoa dog walker

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