VOG a challenge for ERs in Hawaii

Volcanic smog, or VOG, contains harmful chemicals and
particles that may affect people's health and well-being.

The volcanic gas emissions from the Big Island’s Kilauea volcano have been affecting residents in Honolulu, medical officials say.

The volcanic emissions, often known as volcanic smog or VOG, have caused crowded emergency rooms in Oahu.

People were complaining of respiratory issues, headaches and watery eyes due to thick VOG, officials say.

The ERs were more crowded than usual because two local hospitals have been closed recently due to bankruptcy.

Source: Sacramento Bee

Keep VOG out of your home with powerful air purifiers

An air filter for the removal of dangerous VOG pollutants needs to feature more than a simple HEPA particle filter.

A HEPA air cleaner can only remove particles, leaving behind VOG chemicals and toxins to linger in your air.

The AllerAir 5000 VOG and AirMedic VOG feature both a medical-grade HEPA filter and a customized activated carbon filter, designed specifically to adsorb the dangerous properties of VOG pollution.

For more information on our VOG air cleaners contact an Indoor Air Quality Expert at 1-888-852-8247.
  

VOG (volcanic smog): Higher incidence of thyroid cancer in volcanic area

People living in volcanic areas may be at a higher risk for thyroid cancer, according to a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The increasing incidence of thyroid cancer has been attributed to more sensitive screening, but recent evidence indicates that this may not be the only cause. Various environmental factors, such as those associated with volcanoes, have not been excluded as risk factors.

Gabriella Pellegriti, M.D., Ph.D., of the endocrinology division, University of Catania Medical School, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital in Italy, and colleagues collected incidence [newly diagnosed cases] of thyroid cancers in Sicily from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2004 to compare the cancer rates of residents living in the volcanic area of Mt. Etna of Catania with those in the rest of Sicily.

The researchers found that residents of the Catania province had a more than two times higher incidence of papillary thyroid cancer, but not follicular or medullary thyroid cancers, than elsewhere on the island. Also, papillary tumors from patients in Catania more frequently carried the BRAF V600E gene mutation, which has been associated with more aggressive thyroid cancer.

The authors point out that a volcanic environment—which can produce toxic compounds that are suspended particulate matter and gases and elements that may pollute the water—may increase the incidence of thyroid cancer; however, the mechanism by which it affects risk is unknown.

"The striking increase in papillary thyroid cancer incidence that was associated with the Etna volcanic environment leads us to suggest that residents of other volcanic areas…could be at increased risk for thyroid cancer and, possibly, of other cancers," the authors write. "Although specific risk factors for thyroid cancer in this volcanic environment are still unknown, identification of these factors could help to better understand the cause(s) of the increasing thyroid cancer incidence in Europe and North America and perhaps to develop prevention measures."

AllerAir has customized air purifiers which are currently being used by clients in Hawaii for VOG and sulfur dioxide. These units feature a special carbon blend which targets the gaseous components specific to volcanic by-products, as well as medical-grade HEPA filtration for fine airborne particles. Call today for a customized recommendation 1-888-852-8247. We have over 40 blends of carbon to target numerous air quality issues. Trusted by home-owners and professionals world-wide!

Vog: Air Quality Experts Warn that Wrong Air Purifiers Provide False Sense of Security

Indoor Air Quality Experts are warning Hawaii residents that choosing the wrong air purifier to deal with increasingly dangerous amounts of vog being emitted by the Kilauea Volcano can lead to a false sense of security for people trying to safeguard themselves from the health dangers of volcanic smog.

“We see this time and time again,” said Chemical Engineer and Indoor Air Quality Expert, Karen Hand. “People living through serious natural disasters are provided with air purifiers that are easy-sales, but that are not designed to purify indoor air of chemicals and gases—- the very toxins that are most dangerous to a person’s health.”

“When you’re dealing with vog, the composition is primarily of sulfuric acid and other sulfate compounds, but you’re also dealing with small amounts of toxic metals, including selenium, mercury, arsenic and iridium,” said Hand, from AllerAir Industries. “The fact that people are having serious health reactions to this is not surprising—- it’s a deadly combination.”

Hand says only air purifiers combing a HEPA filter and large amounts (at least 18 pounds) of activated, granular carbon will be effective in adsorbing the the noxious sulfur dioxide and other pollutants emitted from Kilauea Volcano.

Hand works with a team of Indoor Quality Experts at AllerAir Industries, an air purifying company that has been designing air cleaners for close to 15 years. “Crisis management is our forte,” she said. “We’ve delivered solutions to mold victims in New Orleans, wildfire victims in California—even air quality solutions to athletes participating in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Chemical and gas remediation is what we do.”

Vog victims are invited to contact one of AllerAir Indoor Air Quality Experts at 1-888-852-8247 or visit their www.allerair.com website for more information of the dangers of vog, and finding the right air purifying solution.

Oahu, Hawaii Copes with Unwelcome Visitor as VOG Continues to Compromise Air Quality

Vog, or volcanic smog, emanating from erupting Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island has blanketed Oahu, 200 miles to the northwest.

Residents of Oahu are experiencing what those living on the Big Island have long complained of: itchy eyes, sore throat and even respiratory difficulty—- all as a result of vog.

A representative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told the Hawaii County Local Emergency Planning Committee that there has been a vast increase in the amount of hazardous substance released from Kilauea volcano.

"We were surprised by the extent by which [the effects] could be felt," Janet Yocum, the EPA's onsite coordinator.

The Indoor Air Quality Experts at AllerAir have been hearing plenty from Hawaii residents. “We've established ourselves as the experts in carbon, and we have a proven proprietary blend of carbon designed specifically to adsorb sulfur dioxide gas(S02)which is what is being emitted from the Kilauea volcano,” said Gershon Katz, an IAQ Expert with AllerAir. “The feedback from Hawaii residents has been very positive.”

Residents of Hawaii are invited to call an AllerAir IAQ Expert at 888 852 8247 for more information of the AirMedic VOG air purifying unit and the dangers of vog exposure.

The increased amound of vog in the Hawaii area is due to a new vent that was created at Halemaumau crater. It spews thousands of tons of sulfur dioxide gas on a daily basis, which can cause breathing difficulties and respiratory illness. The gas can also aggravate heart disease.

Oahu, Hawaii Bathed in Vog; Air Quality Plummets

For a second day in a row, Oahu has been bathed in volcanic smog, or vog, causing the air quality in the area to plummet. Once thought only to be a problem for the Big Island, vog has now become a nuisance for local Oahu residents and visitors.

Indoor Air Quality Experts agree with state health officials who say that short-term reactions to vog may make it difficult for people with respiratory conditions to breathe.

“Without a doubt, residents of Oahu are going to notice a big difference in their air quality,” said Indoor Air Quality Expert, Gershon Katz. “We knew when air purifier sales in the Big Island sky rocketed that vog had become a critical problem. We have a feeling that many Oahu residents will be looking for this same relief very soon.”

AllerAir Industries, an air cleaner manufacturer, has responded to this specific demand by creating the 5000 VOG, an air purifier designed specifically to protect people from the dangers of vog exposure. For information on these air purifiers, call 888-852-8247.

Volcanic smog is formed when sulfur dioxide and other pollutants from an active volcano react with oxygen, moisture, dust and sunlight. This creates a dangerous mix of airborne chemicals, gases, odors, fine particles and toxic metals that can penetrate deep into the lungs and irritate the tissues and mucus membranes of the eyes, nose and throat.