Residents living downwind of vog associated with erupting Kilauea volcano are more likely to develop acute bronchitis than those who live elsewhere on the Big Island, according to a new study.

The study conducted by two University of Nevada at Reno researchers used medical records to track the occurrence of the respiratory problem from 2004 to 2006.

Researchers Bernadette Longo and Wei Yang didn't consider this year's activity, which saw Kilauea emitting more than double the amount of sulfur dioxide it had been spewing before.

Vog, or volcanic smog, is a white haze created when sulfur dioxide emitted from the volcano reacts with sunlight, oxygen, dust particles and water in the air.

The study, published in the November issue of the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, said it uncovered data suggesting exposed children and middle-aged residents "appear to carry the highest risk for acute bronchitis.

"We found that the children living near this active volcano emitting sulfurous air pollution were about 6.5 times more likely to suffer from acute bronchitis than children living on the island, but not near the volcano," Longo said. "Middle-aged adults exposed to the volcanic air pollution had about twice the risk of the disease compared to those who did not live near the volcano."

"This study is important because we studied actual medical records, rather than just relying on self-reporting by residents," Yang said. "These cases of acute bronchitis were diagnosed by clinicians."

Acute bronchitis is not usually a serious health threat, but repeated episodes can develop into chronic bronchitis, a condition defined as a recurrent or chronic cough for a minimum of three months per year for at least two consecutive years.

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Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, www.hilohawaiitribune.com