France

Toxic cloud over France

- 9:45 am
Éruption du Geldingadalagos (Berserkur, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Éruption du Geldingadalagos (Berserkur, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

A cloud of sulfur dioxide hangs over France until Tuesday. It comes from an Icelandic volcano that erupted on Thursday. A few precautions to take.

People sensitive to SO2

Runny nose, itchy eyes, difficulty breathing…. There’s no doubt about it. Allergy sufferers have been noticing polluted air for a few days now. Blame it on this cloud of sulfur dioxide (SO2), a gaseous pollutant particularly harmful to the respiratory system, which comes from the Icelandic volcano Sundhnuksgigarod, which erupted last Thursday. Colorless, but not odorless, this gas has a sulfurous odor that varies in intensity depending on its concentration.

Cloud and rain, an acid cocktail

The toxic cloud flew over northern Europe and began to settle in the skies over France on the night of Saturday August 24 to Sunday August 25, according to Météo Express. It can be dangerous in large quantities or when exposed for long periods. If you’re allergic to SO2, it’s best to wait a few days before going out for sport or sunbathing.
It should be pointed out that these clouds must be highly concentrated to be of real concern to human health, or occur at the same time as rain, which can become acidic as it becomes loaded with sulfur dioxide. While this rain does not represent a direct danger to humans, it can have harmful effects on plants and animals.

France,