Mount St. Helens' volcanic ash: Hemolytic activity

Vallyathan, Val; Mentnech, M. S.; Stettler, L. E.; Dollberg, Donald D.; Green, F H

doi:10.1016/0013-9351(83)90220-7

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Of the nine in vitro studies, five found the ash to cause cell toxicity (Fruchter et al 1980;Green et al 1982;Robinson and Schneider 1982;Vallyathan et al 1983a 1984) but it was less toxic than quartz and similar to other low-toxicity minerals. Four studies found the ash to be nontoxic (Adler et al 1984;Bonner et al 1998;Dodson et al 1982;Martin et al 1984a) in not stimulating macrophages or causing an inflammatory response.…”

Section: Toxicological Studiesmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Of the four inhalation studies, the outcome in two was the development of fibrosis (Martin et al 1983a;Wehner et al 1986), but there was no evidence of toxicity in two studies (Raub et al 1985;Wiester et al 1985). Sanders et al (1982) and Vallyathan et al (1983a) studied animals for 400 days and 6 months, respectively, thereby allowing the analysis of the long-term effect of volcanic ash in the lung. In both studies the ash was less toxic than quartz particles.…”

Section: Toxicological Studiesmentioning

confidence: 96%

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The respiratory health hazards of volcanic ash: a review for volcanic risk mitigation

2006

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Studies of the respiratory health effects of different types of volcanic ash have been undertaken only in the last 40 years, and mostly since the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980. This review of all published clinical, epidemiological and toxicological studies, and other work known to the authors up to and including 2005, highlights the sparseness of studies on acute health effects after eruptions and the complexity of evaluating the long-term health risk (silicosis, non-specific pneumoconiosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in populations from prolonged exposure to ash due to persistent eruptive activity. The acute and chronic health effects of volcanic ash depend upon particle size (particularly the proportion of respirable-sized material), mineralogical composition (including the crystalline silica content) and the physicochemical properties of the surfaces of the ash particles, all of which vary between volcanoes and even eruptions of the same volcano, but adequate information on these key characteristics is not reported for most eruptions. The incidence of acute respiratory symptoms (e.g. asthma, bronchitis) varies greatly after ashfalls, from very few, if any, reported cases to population outbreaks of asthma. The studies are inadequate for excluding increases in acute respiratory mortality after eruptions. Individuals with preexisting lung disease, including asthma, can be at increased risk of their symptoms being exacerbated after falls of fine ash. A comprehensive risk assessment, including toxicological studies, to determine the long-term risk of silicosis from chronic exposure to volcanic ash, has been undertaken only in the eruptions of Mt. St. Helens (1980), USA, and Soufrière Hills, Montserrat (1995 onwards). In the Soufrière Hills eruption, a long-term silicosis hazard has been identified and sufficient exposure and toxicological information obtained to make a probabilistic risk assessment for the development of silicosis in outdoor workers and the general population. A more systematic approach to multi-disciplinary studies in future eruptions is recommended, including establishing an archive of ash samples and a website containing health advice for the public, together with scientific and medical study guidelines for volcanologists and health-care workers.

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Section: Toxicological Studiesmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Toxicological Studiesmentioning

confidence: 96%

The respiratory health hazards of volcanic ash: a review for volcanic risk mitigation

2006

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“…Although, many minerals exhibit a good correlation between hemolysis and fibrogenesis, several others show false negative or false positive results (Green et al, 1982;Harington et al, 1971;Jaurand et al, 1980;Light and Wei, 1977;Nash et al, 1966;Nolan et al, 1981;Summerton et al, 1977;Vallyathan et al, 1983a). Therefore, it is often difficult to relate in vitro studies and extrapolate data to human conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Hemolysis as an index of cytoxicity is commonly used in measuring mineral dust toxicity (Harington et al, 1971;Nash et al, 1966;Vallyathan et al, 1983a). Alveolar macrophages when exposed to dusts may release cytosolic and lysosomal enzymes, and this phenomenon is often used as an index of relative mineral toxicity (Beck et al, 1981;Chamberlain et al, 1979;Garrett et al, 1981;Schorlemmer et al, 1977).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Comparativein vitrocytotoxicity of volcanic ashes from Mount St. Helens, El Chichon, and Galunggung

Vallyathan¹,

Robinson²,

Reasor³

et al. 1984

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health

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Dry sedimented volcanic ash samples from each of three widely separated volcanoes of the "Circum Pacific" region have been subjected to mineralogic analysis and in vitro tests for cytotoxicity. The ash samples from the three different volcanoes varied in particle size, surface area, and concentration of silica. Total crystalline silica in the respirable fraction of ashes was 1.5% (Mount St. Helens, Moses Lake); 1.36% (Galunggung, Bandung-1); 1.95% (Gallunggung, Bandung-2); and 1.72% (El Chichon, Tuxtla). Hemolysis as an index of cytotoxicity was measured by in vitro tests on sheep blood erythrocytes and indicated wide differences in hemolytic activity among ash samples. Alveolar macrophage cytosolic (lactate dehydrogenase) and lysosomal (beta-glucuronidase and beta-N-acetyl glucosaminidase) enzymes were measured as an index of cellular integrity following dust exposure. Hemolysis and release of enzymes from alveolar macrophages were greater with volcanic ash from Galunggung (Bandung-1) and El Chichon (Tuxtla) than the other ashes. Although crystalline silica induced an effect similar to volcanic ash from Galunggung (Bandung-1) on the release of enzymes from alveolar macrophages, the hemolytic potency of silica was much greater. Light and electron microscopic observations of dust-exposed alveolar macrophages indicated that the ash particles were readily phagocytized. These results indicate that volcanic ash is moderately cytotoxic and that exposure may lead to overt reactions and the exacerbation of preexisting chronic inflammatory processes.

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“…For example, a positive haemolytic response was observed when crystalline silica-containing volcanic ash samples from Mount St Helens, USA and Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat, were tested (e.g., [26],[27]), but the haemolysis assay protocol utilised sheep erythrocytes that are known to be more fragile than those from humans (e.g., [28]). Subsequent assessments of the haemolysis assay (e.g., [29]) have determined that based on the quantity of crystalline silica in the volcanic ash the expected haemolytic response is likely moderated and masked by other mineral phases and/or components.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Haemolytic activity of soil from areas of varying podoconiosis endemicity in Ethiopia

et al. 2017

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BackgroundPodoconiosis, non-filarial elephantiasis, is a non-infectious disease found in tropical regions such as Ethiopia, localized in highland areas with volcanic soils cultivated by barefoot subsistence farmers. It is thought that soil particles can pass through the soles of the feet and taken up by the lymphatic system, leading to the characteristic chronic oedema of the lower legs that becomes disfiguring and disabling over time.MethodsThe close association of the disease with volcanic soils led us to investigate the characteristics of soil samples in an endemic area in Ethiopia to identify the potential causal constituents. We used the in vitro haemolysis assay and compared haemolytic activity (HA) with soil samples collected in a non-endemic region of the same area in Ethiopia. We included soil samples that had been previously characterized, in addition we present other data describing the characteristics of the soil and include pure phase mineral standards as comparisons.ResultsThe bulk chemical composition of the soils were statistically significantly different between the podoconiosis-endemic and non-endemic areas, with the exception of CaO and Cr. Likewise, the soil mineralogy was statistically significant for iron oxide, feldspars, mica and chlorite. Smectite and kaolinite clays were widely present and elicited a strong HA, as did quartz, in comparison to other mineral phases tested, although no strong difference was found in HA between soils from the two areas. The relationship was further investigated with principle component analysis (PCA), which showed that a combination of an increase in Y, Zr and Al2O3, and a concurrent increase Fe2O3, TiO2, MnO and Ba in the soils increased HA.ConclusionThe mineralogy and chemistry of the soils influenced the HA, although the interplay between the components is complex. Further research should consider the variable biopersistance, hygroscopicity and hardness of the minerals and further characterize the nano-scale particles.

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Mount St. Helens' volcanic ash: Hemolytic activity

Cited by 20 publications

References 12 publications

The respiratory health hazards of volcanic ash: a review for volcanic risk mitigation

The respiratory health hazards of volcanic ash: a review for volcanic risk mitigation

Comparativein vitrocytotoxicity of volcanic ashes from Mount St. Helens, El Chichon, and Galunggung

Haemolytic activity of soil from areas of varying podoconiosis endemicity in Ethiopia

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