People in Heredia and Alajuela are reporting allergies, asthma, a itchy throat, a dry cough, and an itchy nose due to recent gas emissions from the Poás Volcano. Health conditions have been particularly affected in urban areas where the accumulation of gases is most noticeable, according to the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory (OVSICORI).
According to María Martínez, a geochemist at OVSICORI, on Thursday, the European satellite detected 844 tons of sulfur dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by the Poás Volcano.
“This phenomenon is added to an estimated sulfur dioxide flow of 600 tons per day recorded on March 12 by Ovsicori, which demonstrates an increase in gas emissions this week,” Martínez emphasized. In addition to gases, the volcano also emits very fine particles of pulverized rock, which contributes to the respiratory discomfort reported by the population.
“Satellite images show that the plume is dispersed by the prevailing winds to the north, northwest, and even reaching southwestern Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean,” the expert explained.
Activity
According to Geoffroy Avard, a volcanologist at Ovsicori, Poás remains very active. During Thursday night, it erupted in a large manner, followed by several smaller ones after 8 p.m.
“We have had reports of gas impacts in urban areas, and this is because the plume rises due to the lack of wind, and the accumulation of gas moves very slowly. There is no well-defined wind pattern.” “It remains very active, and there are many parameters that indicate it will not stop,” Avard explained.
Given this situation, the vulnerable population, especially people with respiratory problems or allergies, is advised to stay indoors whenever possible and wear masks if they must be outdoors.
“We don’t know exactly what will happen because it’s a situation we’ve never seen in recent years in the Poás, so we don’t have the memory and data from previous events to make a comparison,” Avard said. Since last week, experts decided to raise the alert level for the mountain range, moving from warning to caution.
