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Short for volcanic smog. Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano opened a new vent in March and began spewing double the usual amount of toxic gas. Crops on the Big Island are shriveling as sulfur dioxide from Kilauea envelops them. People are wheezing, and schoolchildren are being kept indoors during recess. “The first reaction was — did someone poison the plants?” said Tony Bayaoa, who found that 70 percent of the plants are dry and brown on his 2-acre flower farm 35 miles from the volcano. Sulfur dioxide can lead to respiratory illnesses and aggravate lung and heart disease.
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Page compiled from Tribune news services
