Kilauea's east rift has erupted continuously since 1986, each day releasing 1,000 to 2,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), more than twice as much as the highest EPA-ranked stationary source in the nation. These S02 emissions produce an acidic haze of volcanic smog, known locally as """"""""vqg."""""""" Recent studies have characterized SO2 and aerosol acidity in coastal communities that are downwind of the volcano during prevailing trade winds. Less well characterized, however, is the air quality of communities on the northeast Flank of Kilauea. Although usually protected by trade winds, these communities, because of their proximity to the vent, may be exposed to very high levels of SO2 and other emissions when the wind stops or reverses direction. The health effects of such exposure remain to be characterized, particularly in the context of other environmental factors and of genetic predisposition. Active involvement of the community in the planning and conduct of air monitoring and health risk assessmentfacilitates these studies. Such participation also builds environmental awareness and skills that empower the community long after the studies are completed. Thus, the proposed investigations engage residents of the Big Island of Hawaii in research that explores the effects of volcanic air pollution (""""""""vog"""""""") on their cardiopulmonary health. Community researchers will work with Hawaii Department of Health staff, volcanologists, and environmental health scientists. Together they will plan future studies to explore the hypothesis that adults who inhale volcano-derived particulate matter, SO2, or acid aerosols are at greater risk of cardiopulmonary effects.The overall goal will be met by the following objectives: 1) build capacity in the community to address environmental research questions, 2) monitor concentrations of particulate matter, acid aerosols, and SO2 in Volcano Village and Pahala, Hawaii 3) Test the feasibility of measuring airway function, inflammation, and autonomic heart rate variability in at least 20 adult residents of Volcano Village, Pahala, and Kona 4) Plan future investigation of these health effects in at-risk residents of Volcano Village, Pahala, and Kona, compared to the well-characterized MultiEthnic Health Research cohort in Kohala, a vog-free community. The proposed efforts are expected to enhance collaboration between scientists and community, produce new air quality data in a community at high risk of sporadic acute exposures, and increase community awareness and responsibility in environmental health. The proposed health assessments will not yield conclusions about cardiopulmonary effects of vog, but provide necessary insights re technical feasibility, individual biologic variation, relative effects of other environmental factors, and community support. This background is vital to power analysis and experimental design of more comprehensive environmental studies by the team of community researchers and scientists.
