Britain on health alert, asks people to stay inside as corrosive gas fills skies in UK

The people in Britain were, on Saturday (August 24), asked to stay inside amid a health alert as corrosive and acidic gas clouds engulfed the skies of the United Kingdom early in the morning.

In the country's weather maps, a huge cloud of sulphur dioxide (SO2) was seen covering the skies at 4 am local time after getting released in recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland.

SO2 is produced from crude oil or coal combustion, but volcanoes also produce it in huge quantities when they erupt. 

People who inhale this gas can suffer from symptoms like a sore throat, coughing, a runny nose, burning eyes, tight lungs, and difficult breathing.

Some people can also suffer from asthma and chronic bronchitis due to direct exposure to SO2.

This gas, which was emitted from coal, led to the famous London smog in 1952, when thousands of respiratory-related deaths were recorded.

SO2, when combined with water vapour present in the earth's atmosphere, leads to the formation of acid rain.

Young children and elderly people, who are especially vulnerable to SO2 inhalation, were advised to avoid exposure to the gas and stay inside.

The dangerous smog travelled from Iceland to London after it was released in a volcanic eruption in the Reykjanes Peninsula near Grindavik on Thursday (Aug 22).

The eruption was expected to take place because of the ongoing seismic activity in the area as well as the pressure changes in boreholes.

According to the reports, rescue teams were called up in Reykjanes and Olfus and thousands of residents in Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon were evacuated.

The residents were asked by local authorities to stay at a distance from the area to ensure their own safety.

The lava samples and seismic data recorded in the last three years amid eruptions were analysed by an international team of scientists.

It was found that the peninsula is present on an interconnected magma plumbing system which can keep volcanoes fed with molten rock.

Professor of petrology at Uppsala University and lead author Valentin Troll said, "A comparison of these eruptions with historical events provides strong evidence that Iceland will have to prepare and be ready for this volcanic episode to continue for some time, possibly even years to decades."