Why does DOH monitor for sulfur dioxide (SO2) and not sulfuric acid (H2SO4)?
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a regulated criteria pollutant for which there is an ambient air quality standard. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is not a criteria pollutant and there are no particular standards for it. DOH does periodic monitoring for H2SO4 from the “laze” emissions from the Kalapana area on the island of Hawai‘i. On the island of Hawai‘i, lava haze or “laze” is created when heat from lava entering the sea rapidly boils and vaporizes seawater, producing a series of chemical reactions. The reactions produce a large white plume that contains a mixture of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and concentrated seawater.
