A team led by CRETUS researchers Alberto Ruano Raviña and Cristina Candal Pedreira, from the Preventive Medicine and Public Health area at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), has presented the main results of the ASHES project (Analysis of Exposure and Respiratory Health Effects of Volcanic Eruption in the Canary Islands) on the island of La Palma. The research focuses on the impact of the Tajogaite volcanic eruption on the respiratory health of the population.
The project, funded by the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) with €300,000, was designed and initiated immediately after the 2021 eruption. It is the largest study conducted in Spain on the impact of a volcanic eruption on population respiratory health, both in terms of the number of participants and parameters assessed and the follow-up period, initially planned for five years.
Comprehensive follow-up of the affected population
The Tajogaite volcanic eruption on the island of La Palma, between September and December 2021, exposed thousands of people to volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide and other atmospheric pollutants for 85 days. One of the study’s main features is its analysis of the effects of exposure across different population groups, including adults, children, people with pre-existing respiratory diseases, people who had access to the exclusion zone, and unexposed participants. Throughout the study, participants underwent comprehensive lung function testing, quality-of-life assessments and biological sample collection.
Main findings
The results obtained so far point to the development of new respiratory disease in some individuals, which was not reversible, as well as greater persistence of symptoms among exposed children. The effect was greater among children with previous exposures, such as second-hand tobacco smoke. The study also found a significant impact on the use of healthcare resources, including emergency department visits and increased use of anxiolytics, particularly among women. It also identified increased levels of inflammatory interleukins.
To date, the project has resulted in the publication of eight scientific articles in international journals, as well as presentations at national and international conferences and several scientific recognitions. These include the 2025 award for the best scientific article from the Spanish Society of Epidemiology.
An ongoing study
The ASHES project remains ongoing, and participant follow-up is continuing. The CRETUS researchers at USC point out that continuing the study will provide a better understanding of the medium- and long-term evolution of the effects of exposure to the Tajogaite eruption and contribute to improving healthcare responses to future volcanic events.
The project results were presented today, 22 September, at the University Hospital of La Palma by the principal investigators and other members of the research team, including David de La Rosa, President of SEPAR, and other researchers from the scientific society.
The ASHES project is also part of the work of the ESPASS research group, a Xunta de Galicia Competitive Reference Group led by Professor Alberto Ruano Raviña and based at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Santiago de Compostela.
Sobre el proyecto: proyecto ASHES | SEPAR
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