A longitudinal and multidesign epidemiological study to analyze the effect of the volcanic eruption of Tajogaite volcano (La Palma, Canary Islands). The ASHES study protocol

• Published in: Environmental research 2023-01, Vol.216 (Pt 2), p.114486, Article 114486
• Main Authors: Ruano-Ravina, Alberto, Acosta, Orlando, Díaz Pérez, David, Casanova, Ciro, Velasco, Valle, Peces-Barba, Germán, Barreiro, Esther, Cañas, Ana, Castaño, Argelia, Cruz Carmona, María Jesús, Diego, Carmen, Garcia-Aymerich, Judith, Martínez, Cristina, Molina-Molina, María, Muñoz, Xavier, Sánchez-Íñigo, Francisco Javier, Candal-Pedreira, Cristina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: air pollution; Air Pollution - adverse effects; at-risk population; Canary Islands; Child; childhood; Cohort Studies; conservation areas; data collection; ethics; health services; Humans; Particulate Matter - analysis; particulates; Population health; Respiratory health; Spain; Spain - epidemiology; volcanic activity; Volcanic eruption; Volcanic Eruptions - adverse effects
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114486

Volcanic eruptions emit gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere which, if inhaled, can have an impact on health. The eruption of the volcano situated in the Cumbre Vieja Nature Reserve (La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain) affords a unique opportunity to study the effect of such a phenomenon on health. The aim of the proposed study is to assess the short-, medium- and long-term respiratory health effects of exposure to volcanic emissions from the eruption in three different population groups. We propose to undertake a multidesign study: an ambispective cohort study to analyze the effect of the eruption on the general population, the highly exposed population, and the childhood population; and a pre-post quasi-experimental study on subjects with previously diagnosed respiratory diseases. The information will be collected using a personal interview, biologic specimens, air pollution data, data from medical records, respiratory tests and imaging tests. The study has an envisaged follow-up of five years, to run from the date of initial recruitment, with annual data-collection. This study has been approved by the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Provincial Research Ethics Committee (Canary Island Health Service) on March 10, 2022. This study will make it possible to advance our knowledge of the effect a volcano eruption has on population health, both short- and long-term, and to assess the potential respiratory injury attributable to volcanic eruptions. It may serve as a model for future studies of new volcanic eruptions in the coming years. •There are uncertainties about the medium and long-term effect of volcanic eruptions on the health of the population.•Characteristics of La Palma eruption afford an unique opportunity to assess its possible effects on health.•This study will be the most ambitious to date and will use data from different sources.