Volcanic ash health advice
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has stressed that only a very low concentration of ash particles is likely to reach ground level in the UK and this should not cause serious harm.
What are the possible health effects?
Volcanic ash from most eruptions generally causes few health problems and it is not considered to be a significant health risk.
Ash can affect breathing and cause irritation of the eyes and skin. The severity of these problems is affected by the concentration of ash, the duration of exposure to ash, how fine the ash particles are and what the ash is made of.
The amount of ash that may reach the ground in the UK is likely to be small and not enough to cause serious harm. More …
