Quantifying the Pulmonary Risks of Volcanic Gas Inhalation: A Meta-Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37275/bsm.v9i2.1185Keywords:
Asthma, Chronic bronchitis, FEV1, Meta-analysis, Respiratory healthAbstract
Background: Volcanic eruptions release a complex mixture of gases and particulate matter, posing significant respiratory health risks. This meta-analysis aims to quantify the association between volcanic gas inhalation and adverse pulmonary effects.
Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for studies published between 2013 and 2024 investigating the respiratory effects of volcanic gas exposure. Studies reporting quantitative data on lung function, respiratory symptoms, or disease prevalence were included. Random-effect models were used to pool effect estimates, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic.
Results: Six studies (n = 2,215 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Volcanic gas exposure was associated with a significant decrease in FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.55, 95% CI: -0.67 to -0.42, I² = 51%), increased prevalence of asthma (odds ratio [OR] = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.84 to 5.96, I² = 76%), and chronic bronchitis (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.97 to 4.15, I² =0%). Subgroup analysis revealed a stronger association between gas exposure and respiratory effects in children and individuals with pre-existing lung conditions.
Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides compelling evidence that volcanic gas inhalation is detrimental to respiratory health. Public health interventions should prioritize vulnerable populations during and after volcanic eruptions.
Authors
- Septriana Putri1*
- Yessy Susanty Sabri1
- 1Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas/Dr. M. Djamil General Hospital, Padang, Indonesia
Corresponding author Septriana Putri — drseptrianap@gmail.com
Article history
- Submitted
- Accepted
- Published
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright and licensing
Copyright in each article remains with the author(s). Authors grant Bioscientia Medicina: Journal of Biomedicine and Translational Research a non-exclusive right of first publication and the right to identify itself as the original publisher. No exclusive transfer of copyright is required.
All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. Users may copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon the material for non-commercial purposes, provided appropriate attribution is given, a link to the license is supplied, changes are indicated, and adaptations are distributed under the same license.
The license applies to the article's scholarly content unless a credit line states otherwise. Third-party material may be subject to separate rights. Authors retain patent, trademark, moral, and research-data rights. The copyright year follows the article's publication date.
