Desert dust episodes affecting Europe are intensifying, particularly in Southern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, posing growing challenges for air quality and public health, according to a new international study involving researchers from The Cyprus Institute (CyI).
The study, published in the scientific journal Nature, links the increasing intensity of dust transport from the Sahara and other desert regions to broader environmental changes associated with climate change, The Cyprus Institute said in a press release on Thursday.
These include worsening drought and land degradation in North Africa, as well as shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns that favour the transport of dust towards Europe.
The findings indicate that the effects of climate change may go beyond changes in temperature and extreme weather events to affect the quality of the air people breathe, the press release added.
Southern Europe already experiences around 46 desert dust episodes annually, which increase concentrations of particulate matter in the atmosphere and contribute to poorer air quality.
According to the study, transported dust in the region accounts for approximately one third of the World Health Organization’s annual mean PM10 guideline value for air quality.
High concentrations of transported desert dust may have adverse health effects, including asthma exacerbation and increased mortality.
Researchers estimate that, in recent years, desert dust episodes in Southern Europe have been associated with an increase of approximately 0.67% in daily mortality and a 2.5% increase in respiratory hospitalisations among children.
The research also shows a gradual increase in transported dust across Europe over the past century, as indicated by measurements of dust in Alpine glacier ice.
The findings are particularly significant for Cyprus, as the Eastern Mediterranean is among the European regions most affected by transported desert dust and has experienced one of the greatest increases in the intensity of dust episodes over the past decade, the CyI press release noted.
The study also found that average concentrations of desert dust in Southern Europe are more than twice as high as those recorded in Central and Northern Europe.
CyI Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C) researchers, who co-authored the study, explain that desert dust has long been a natural phenomenon in the region.
However, they note that the new study shows that dust episodes and their associated impacts have been intensifying over time, while the conditions favouring more intense episodes are changing in ways consistent with the influence of climate change.
This means, they add, that desert dust could become an even greater challenge for air quality and public health in the years ahead.
They conclude that better preparedness for more intense dust episodes, together with continued action to address climate change, will be essential for protecting public health and improving air quality.
