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'It's a nightmare': What life is like under Mount Etna's cloud of ash
Frequent eruptions of Mount Etna blanket nearby towns in volcanic ash, raising health concerns and exposing gaps in cleanup efforts. Residents like Emilia Privitera report respiratory issues, while experts call for better planning and protective measures.
When Emilia Privitera started coughing relentlessly in March 2021, she initially worried she might have caught COVID-19 again. After testing negative, she suspected a seasonal allergy. But the cough persisted for weeks, accompanied by a strange hissing sound in her lungs. A specialist found something unexpected: almost imperceptible ash particles stuck in her lungs.
Privitera lives in Nicolosi, a town near Catania, perched on the slopes of Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano. At every eruption, which can occur multiple times a year, her symptoms return. Hundreds of other residents in the area face similar challenges.
In recent weeks, intense eruptions grounded hundreds of flights for a week. While the fiery displays draw international attention, less focus is on the people living with steady volcanic ashfall, which can reach thousands of tonnes a day during intense activity, blanketing towns across the region.
Health impacts of fine particles
Volcanic ash consists of very fine particles of rock, minerals, and volcanic glass, and can get stuck on roofs and streets for years. It can act as a mineral-rich fertiliser, but inhaled particles pose health risks, especially when stirred up by wind or vehicles.
A 2013 paper on Etna's 2002 eruptions found a significant increase in emergency department visits for acute respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular conditions, and eye irritation during the eruption. Daniele Lombardo, co-author of the study, explained that fine ash can penetrate deep into the lungs, triggering inflammation, oxidative stress, and respiratory irritation.
The University of Palermo conducted studies that found elevated rates of thyroid cancer in populations living near Etna, according to reports.
Nunzio Crimi, a pulmonologist in Catania, cut his summer vacation short due to emergency calls from respiratory patients. He reported an eight per cent increase in medical appointments during the early August eruptions. The Sicilian Department of Civil Protection also reported an increase in hospital ER visits in Catania province.
Crimi noted that patients with pre-existing respiratory conditions, especially those weakened by past pneumonia or COVID, can experience serious worsening due to ashfall.
Cleanup challenges and secondary exposure
Riccardo Castro, a local politician and medical executive at the main hospital in Acireale, said delayed ash collection and inadequate disposal infrastructure prolong residents' secondary exposure to fine particulate ash, exacerbating health risks. He warned that using air blowers to clear streets reintroduces ash into the air rather than permanently removing it.
Residents like Delia Zappalà of Nicolosi said they have had to collect bags of ash themselves, as the municipality did not provide proper collective removal or guidelines. The Sicily Region and its civil protection department did not respond to a request for comment.
Paolo Roccaro, an environmental engineering professor at the University of Catania, said Sicily lags behind Japan in technology and planning for ash removal systems. He noted that despite decades of frequent eruptions, ash removal is treated as an emergency rather than a persistent problem requiring planning and mitigation.
In March, Sicily passed a decree reclassifying volcanic ash from hazardous waste to a reusable raw material, allowing its use in construction, such as a partial cement replacement. Roccaro hopes this will improve coordination of ash removal.
Lessons from Iceland
In Iceland, the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption had lasting health effects. Researcher Gunnar Guðmundsson found that respiratory symptoms and psychological distress persisted for years among the most heavily exposed residents.
Berglind Hilmarsdottir, a farmer in Dyrafjord, said cattle can die from fluoride poisoning if they eat contaminated grass. Fluoride in ash can form acids in animals' digestive systems, damaging the intestinal lining and potentially causing internal bleeding. It can also interfere with calcium in the bloodstream, weakening bones and, in severe cases, causing teeth to deteriorate.
Protective measures and individual responses
Crimi suggested that wearing a mask during intense volcanic activity is the best way for citizens to protect themselves. Privitera wears a mask during intense ashfall, calling it a "palliative." Her cough and respiratory symptoms persist for weeks even after eruptions end, a pattern shared by many in the region.
How each outlet told it
Euronews.com
Framing: The headline is identical to the Yahoo News New Zealand article, using the same quote from a resident to emphasize the human impact of living under the ash cloud. — sympathetic
Facts Included:
Emilia Privitera's story: she coughed for weeks in March 2021, a specialist found ash particles in her lungs.
Privitera lives in Nicolosi, near Catania, on the slopes of Mount Etna.
In recent weeks, intense eruptions grounded hundreds of flights for a week.
Ashfall can reach thousands of tonnes a day.
Ash consists of fine particles of rock, minerals, and volcanic glass, and can get stuck on roofs and streets for years.
A 2013 paper on Etna's 2002 eruptions found increased emergency department visits for respiratory, cardiovascular, and eye issues.
Daniele Lombardo (study co-author) says fine ash can penetrate deep into lungs, triggering inflammation, oxidative stress, and respiratory irritation.
University of Palermo studies found elevated rates of thyroid cancer in populations living near Etna.
Nunzio Crimi (pulmonologist in Catania) cut his summer vacation short due to emergency calls from respiratory patients.
Crimi saw an eight per cent increase in medical appointments during the early August eruptions.
Sicilian Department of Civil Protection reported an increase in hospital ER visits in Catania province.
Iceland's 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption had lasting health effects; Gunnar Guðmundsson found respiratory symptoms and psychological distress persisted for years.
Berglind Hilmarsdottir (farmer in Dyrafjord) notes cattle can die from fluoride poisoning if they eat contaminated grass.
Fluoride in ash can damage animal digestive systems, cause internal bleeding, and weaken bones/teeth.
Riccardo Castro (local politician and medical executive in Acireale) says delayed ash collection and inadequate disposal prolong secondary exposure.
Castro warns that using air blowers to clean streets reintroduces ash into the air.
Delia Zappalà (Nicolosi resident) says residents have to collect ash themselves; municipality didn't provide proper removal or guidelines.
The Sicily Region and civil protection department did not respond to a request for comment.
Crimi suggests wearing a mask during intense volcanic activity.
Privitera wears a mask during intense ashfall, calling it a 'palliative'.
Paolo Roccaro (environmental engineering professor) says Sicily lags behind Japan in rapid ash removal systems.
Roccaro hopes a March decree by the Sicily region reclassifying volcanic ash from hazardous waste to reusable raw material will improve coordination.
The decree allows ash to be used in construction, e.g., as partial cement replacement.
Reporting funded by an environmental grant from Journalismfund Europe.
Framing: The headline is identical to the Euronews.com article, using the same quote from a resident to emphasize the human impact of living under the ash cloud. — sympathetic
Facts Included:
Emilia Privitera's story: she coughed for weeks in March 2021, a specialist found ash particles in her lungs.
Privitera lives in Nicolosi, near Catania, on the slopes of Mount Etna.
In recent weeks, intense eruptions grounded hundreds of flights for a week.
Ashfall can reach thousands of tonnes a day.
Ash consists of fine particles of rock, minerals, and volcanic glass, and can get stuck on roofs and streets for years.
A 2013 paper on Etna's 2002 eruptions found increased emergency department visits for respiratory, cardiovascular, and eye issues.
Daniele Lombardo (study co-author) says fine ash can penetrate deep into lungs, triggering inflammation, oxidative stress, and respiratory irritation.
University of Palermo studies found elevated rates of thyroid cancer in populations living near Etna.
Nunzio Crimi (pulmonologist in Catania) cut his summer vacation short due to emergency calls from respiratory patients.
Crimi saw an eight per cent increase in medical appointments during the early August eruptions.
Sicilian Department of Civil Protection reported an increase in hospital ER visits in Catania province.
Iceland's 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption had lasting health effects; Gunnar Guðmundsson found respiratory symptoms and psychological distress persisted for years.
Berglind Hilmarsdottir (farmer in Dyrafjord) notes cattle can die from fluoride poisoning if they eat contaminated grass.
Fluoride in ash can damage animal digestive systems, cause internal bleeding, and weaken bones/teeth.
Riccardo Castro (local politician and medical executive in Acireale) says delayed ash collection and inadequate disposal prolong secondary exposure.
Castro warns that using air blowers to clean streets reintroduces ash into the air.
Delia Zappalà (Nicolosi resident) says residents have to collect ash themselves; municipality didn't provide proper removal or guidelines.
The Sicily Region and civil protection department did not respond to a request for comment.
Crimi suggests wearing a mask during intense volcanic activity.
Privitera wears a mask during intense ashfall, calling it a 'palliative'.
Paolo Roccaro (environmental engineering professor) says Sicily lags behind Japan in rapid ash removal systems.
Roccaro hopes a March decree by the Sicily region reclassifying volcanic ash from hazardous waste to reusable raw material will improve coordination.
The decree allows ash to be used in construction, e.g., as partial cement replacement.
Reporting funded by an environmental grant from Journalismfund Europe.
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimEmilia Privitera coughed relentlessly in March 2021.
ClaimA 2013 paper on Etna's 2002 eruptions found a significant increase in emergency department visits for acute respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular conditions, and eye irritation during the eruption compared with the same period the previous year.
ClaimDaniele Lombardo, co-author of the study, said that fine volcanic ash can penetrate deep into the lungs, triggering inflammation, oxidative stress and respiratory irritation.
ClaimThe Sicilian Department of Civil Protection reported an increase in patients rushing to hospital emergency rooms in the province of Catania during the early August Etna eruptions.
ClaimIn Iceland, the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption had lasting health effects; researcher Gunnar Guðmundsson found that respiratory symptoms and psychological distress persisted for several years among residents most heavily exposed to ash particles.
ClaimBerglind Hilmarsdottir, a farmer in Dyrafjord in the Westfjords, said cattle can risk dying of fluoride poisoning if they breathe or eat too much contaminated grass when ashes are not quickly removed from fields.
ClaimFluoride in volcanic ash can interfere with calcium in the bloodstream, and prolonged, heavy exposure over several days may weaken bones and, in severe cases, cause teeth to deteriorate.
ClaimRiccardo Castro, a local politician and medical executive at the main hospital in Acireale, said that delayed ash collection and inadequate disposal infrastructure have been prolonging residents' secondary exposure to Etna's fine particulate ash, exacerbating respiratory and cardiovascular health risks.
ClaimDelia Zappalà of Nicolosi said that residents have had to collect bags of volcanic ash themselves, as the municipality didn't provide proper collective removal or guidelines.
ClaimPaolo Roccaro, an environmental engineering professor at the University of Catania, said Sicily lags behind Japan in terms of technology and planning for ash removal systems.
ClaimPaolo Roccaro said that despite decades of frequent eruptions, the issue of ash removal is treated as an emergency rather than a persistent problem requiring planning and mitigation.
ClaimNunzio Crimi said that patients with pre-existing respiratory conditions can experience serious worsening of their conditions due to ashfall, especially those with weakened respiratory systems from past pneumonia or COVID.