State officials plan to have portable air-quality monitors in Big Island public schools by the start of the fall term because of ongoing concerns about the possible health effects of volcanic fumes, officials told a legislative committee yesterday.

Members of the House Special Committee on Vog Effects met with local experts in the first of a series of meetings to discuss the wide-ranging effects of sulfur dioxide emissions from Kilauea.

While it will take years to determine the long-term effects of vog, the state is taking proactive measures to protect those in vog-exposed areas, officials said at the meeting at the State Capitol.

Hawai'i County Civil Defense has set up a task force that is responsible for hazard and risk assessment, as well as creating a response plan, for times when Kilauea's sulfur dioxide emissions rise to dangerous levels.

More than 400 Hawai'i firefighters have been trained to use 25 portable sulfur dioxide monitors at 21 fire stations. Another eight fixed monitors have been placed at various locations throughout the island.

Lt. Michael Kennedy, medical operations officer for the Hawai'i National Guard's 93rd Civil Support Team, said the group is working with the Hawai'i school system to put portable monitors in schools.

"Before school gets back into session, we anticipate having monitors in place," he said.

Although the state is making progress in its efforts to track sulfur dioxide emissions, the health effects of vog remain unclear, said Dr. Chiyome Fukino, director of the state Department of Health.

"This is new territory," Fukino said. "We talk about long-term health effects, but we haven't hit long term yet."

Fukino urged people not to focus on government readings and statistics, but rather to pay close attention to their own health.

"An individual needs to make an assessment based on their physical response to the environment, not based on numbers," Fukino said. "The response is different for everyone."

People with asthma, the elderly and the very young may be especially sensitive to air pollutants, she said.

Short-term reactions to vog may include difficulty breathing for those with respiratory conditions, as well as itchy eyes and a sore throat. An ongoing study by University of Hawai'i medical professor Elizabeth Tam showed that asthma rates are not correlated with exposure to vog in Big Island children.

While there has not been an increase in asthma cases, it is possible that vog could exacerbate asthmatic reactions, said Dr. Cliff Field, emergency medical director at Ka'u Hospital. Field said he has seen an increase in respiratory infections and emergency room visits since Kilauea's March 19 explosion that marked the beginning of the current phase of heavy sulfur dioxide emissions, he said. However, Field said the increase could also have been caused by the arrival of flu season.

To reduce the risk of health problems associated with volcanic emissions, the Department of Health warns against drinking or cooking with water from catchment systems.

Members of the committee, including chairman Rep. Robert Herkes, D-5th (Ka'u, South Kona), expressed concern that some residents will continue to rely on catchment water despite warnings. Not everyone has the resources available to drive out and purchase bottled water, Herkes said.

Fukino said she hopes that "the counties will make available potable water through spigots and trucks," she said.

The Health Department is not aware of any air filters that have been proven effective in eliminating sulfur dioxide, and does not recommend wearing dust masks, which might make it more difficult to breathe.

The committee plans to hold three or four more meetings, which will focus on the effects of vog on agriculture, pets and animals, wildlife and other areas.