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| This guy near a volcanic fissure in Hawaii last week is smart to wear a gas mask. Sulfur dioxide levels are at dangerous levels near the vents. |
You probably noticed that in some of the amazing images coming out of Hawaii's volcano zone, the vegetation near the fissures has turned brown and dead.
Much of that actually isn't from the heat generated by the lava. A lot of vegetation is dead because of the immense amount of sulfer dioxide coming out of the vents and fissures.
If sulfur dioxide can kill plants, imagine what it can do to a human body. No wonder people are evacuated from the volcano zone. Yes, the lava is extremely dangerous. So is all that sulfur dioxide in the air.
Which is why a lot of people advocate for more pollution controls in general. Sulfur dioxide is one of the pollutants that get into the air from the burning of fossil fuels and emissions from factories.
Obviously, sulfur dioxide concentrations in the air are far less in cities than right near the Hawaii volcano, even on the most polluted days.
But still, sulfur dioxide is harmful. It is one ingredient that forms tiny particles during periods of high pollution. These particles can get deep into peoples' lungs and cause health problems.
A badly polluted day in an average American city won't turn trees brown like the high concentrations of gases in Hawaii are doing, but the air pollution can still slow plant growth, which potentially has an impact on crops. Sulfur dioxide can also help lead to acid rain.
In super high concentrations like around the Hawaii volcano, the sulfur dioxide basically turns to sulfuric acid when you breath it in. So people exposed to the gas quickly suffer shortness of breath, and a burning sensation in the eyes and throat.
Long term effects of exposure to sulfur dioxide are not clear.
You can see in the surroundings in this video from Hawaii how the sulfur dioxide has turned the landscape brown:
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