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Collection of ash in Europe
From: "Claire J. Horwell" <claire.horwell@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
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To volcanologists in the UK and Europe,
Today ash is again affecting UK and Irish airspace, and we may receive new ashfall over the coming days. We are carrying out a study to look at the potential health hazard of the Icelandic ash, both in Iceland and affected parts of Europe. We would be very grateful if you could help us with sample collection:
1) If you have samples already and can donate a sub-sample
2) If you would be prepared to collect fresh samples.
1) If you have samples already and can donate a sub-sample
2) If you would be prepared to collect fresh samples.
1) We will be carrying out analysis of bulk ashfall collected in Iceland but also will be analysing micro-samples collected in the UK and beyond. If you have micro-samples we would grateful for a sub-sample which, if possible, has been representatively sampled from your sample although we appreciate this is difficult. We will be carrying out SEM analyses so require very little deposit.
2) We urge you to be prepared for any fresh deposits by putting out clean, plastic trays which are regularly emptied/cleaned, or maybe even just keeping your car clean so that you can brush off new ashfall with little contamination, from the roof or bonnet.
2) We urge you to be prepared for any fresh deposits by putting out clean, plastic trays which are regularly emptied/cleaned, or maybe even just keeping your car clean so that you can brush off new ashfall with little contamination, from the roof or bonnet.
For guidance on ash collection, please see the Guidelines at http://www.ivhhn.org/guidelines.html which have been written with any tephra analyses in mind, not just health-related analyses. For information on the work which we will be carrying out, please also see the Protocol for bulk ash analysis (for assessment of health hazard) which is available on the same webpage. Obviously this protocol will only apply to substantial bulk samples collected from Iceland. Micro-samples will be analysed by SEM for grain-size distribution, morphology and composition.
Please contact me directly with any queries (claire.horwell@xxxxxxxxxxxx).
Best wishes,
Claire
Claire
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