The tragic loss of life and injury resulting from the December 2019 eruption of the Whakaari White Island volcano, located to the east of New Zealand, is trending in global media.
There was an earlier eruption there in 1914 that killed 10 people.
I am interested that reporters are not discussing Hydrogen Fluoride gas emissions from this volcano that is known to emit 1500 to 2000 kilogram of HF gas each day, when it is in its "quiet" mode. HF inhalation has caused death in numerous industrial accidents, usually within 24 hours and burns to the skin from this gas have claimed victims some days later.
Students were used on White Island as human Guinea pigs who were not wearing gas masks and it was estimated that some breathed in up to 8 ppm HF during their island visit.
Please let me know if you find media reports mentioning Hydrogen Fluoride as the most lethal gas associated with the deaths and casualties.
The use of students as experimental animals on Whakaari
Article Effect of volcanic gas exposure on urine, blood, and serum chemistry
I was interested to learn that Hydrogen Fluoride gas was measured using FTIR spectrometry from a boat as well as on the crater at Whakaari White Island, New Zealand. Reference: Love SP et al. 2000. Passive Infrared Spectroscopic Remote Sensing of Volcanic Gases: Ground-Based Studies at White Island and Ruapehu, New Zealand, and Popocatepetl, Mexico. in Remote Sensing of Active Volcanism. Volume 16. Wiley
More information is being released on recent gas levels on Whakaari White Island. Note that as the Hydrogen Sulfide level increases, so does the Hydrogen Fluoride level, and this effect is also found at some other volcanoes.
So, how can you correlate volcanic levels of HF emission and toxicity with wider F- presumed toxicity?
It would be very disappointing if you were trying to use this forum to use this tragedy to do so. These individuals have gone through enough trauma without that hypothetical) correlation.
Thanks for your comment Matt. Hydrogen Fluoride burns are distinctive, and I think the NZ investigations will show that first aid and receiving hospitals were not advised of the unique requirements to deal with them to reduce deaths.
Thank you. We did recognise that. The metabolic issues are more complex than just the HF content.
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