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Liger E, Hernández F, Expósito FJ, Díaz JP, Salazar-Carballo PA, Gordo E, González C, López-Pérez M. Transport and deposition of radionuclides from northern Africa to the southern Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands during the intense dust intrusions of March 2022. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 352:141303. [PMID: 38280650 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
The present study focuses on the two consecutive and markedly intense Saharan dust intrusion episodes that greatly affected southern Spain (Málaga) and, to a lesser extent, the Canary Islands (Tenerife), in March 2022. These two episodes were the result of atypical meteorological conditions in the region and resulted in record levels of aerosols in the air at the Málaga location. The activity levels of various natural and artificial radionuclides (7Be, 210Pb, 40K, 137Cs, 239Pu, 240Pu, 239+240Pu) and radioactive indicators (gross alpha and gross beta) were impacted by these events and the results are described herein. These episodes caused, for example, the activities of 137Cs in aerosol samples at the Málaga monitoring station to reach the highest concentrations ever recorded since high-volume aerosol monitoring started at this site in 2009. A link between the activity levels of 137Cs, 40K and gross alpha in the atmospheric aerosols and daily PM10 concentrations during the episodes is also reported. In addition, isotopic ratios are discussed in the context of the source and destination of the various anthropogenic radionuclides measured. The atmospheric residence time of aerosols during these episodes is also evaluated because it concerns how intrusions to the Canary Islands should be analysed. Finally, for the first time, the concentrations of 137Cs deposition by rainwater during a Saharan dust intrusion are reported and the deposition rate of these radionuclides during these episodes is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esperanza Liger
- Departamento de Física Aplicada II, Universidad de Málaga, Spain; Grupo de Geoquímica y Radiactividad Ambiental, Universidad de Málaga, Spain.
| | - Francisco Hernández
- Grupo de Geoquímica y Radiactividad Ambiental, Universidad de Málaga, Spain; Grupo de Observación de la Tierra y la Atmósfera, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | | | - Juan Pedro Díaz
- Grupo de Observación de la Tierra y la Atmósfera, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Pedro A Salazar-Carballo
- Laboratorio de Física Médica y Radioactividad Ambiental, SEGAI, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain; Departamento de Medicina Física y Farmacología, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Elisa Gordo
- Grupo de Geoquímica y Radiactividad Ambiental, Universidad de Málaga, Spain; Servicios Centrales de Apoyo a la Investigación, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - Cristina González
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias. Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - María López-Pérez
- Laboratorio de Física Médica y Radioactividad Ambiental, SEGAI, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
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Svv DR, Al-Rashidi A, Sabarathinam C, Alsabti B, Al-Wazzan Y, Kumar US. Temporal and spatial shifts in the chemical composition of urban coastal rainwaters of Kuwait: The role of air mass trajectory and meteorological variables. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 899:165649. [PMID: 37478926 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
The rainwater chemistry encompasses the signatures of geogenic and anthropogenic processes along the regional air mass movement apart from the local sources. The predominance of dust events and anthropogenic emissions in arid regions facilitate new particle formation. Further, rain events of different seasons depict moisture sources from diverse regions reflecting variation in the regional geochemistry with respect to seasons. Hence, to characterize the geochemical composition of rainwater, the study has focused on an integrated approach by considering regional transport, meteorological components and possible local sources. A total of 74 rainwater samples were collected from 27 rain events in 2018, 2019, and 2022, representing urban coastal areas of Kuwait predominantly of Ca-SO4-HCO3 type. The average pH and electrical conductivity of the rainwater were 7.18 and 140 μS/cm, respectively. The sea salt fractions calculated relative to Kuwait seawater ranged from 25.6 to >100 %, with higher values attributed to anthropogenic sources. Sea salt fraction, ion ratios, principal component analysis and factor scores revealed the terrestrial and anthropogenic sources apart from marine contributions. In addition, new particle formation and aerosols contributed to the rainwater chemistry involving SOx, NOx, and photochemical reactions during higher relative humidity and lesser wind speed. The HYSPLIT reflected that the moisture sources were largely from western regions of the study area, and those of December and January events had long-distance travel across the Azores high originating from northeast America. The trajectories of the November events are observed to originate from the Caspian/Black Sea region in the northeastern part of Kuwait with a relatively shorter distance of travel. The rainfall samples had higher ionic concentrations, and saturated with aragonite and calcite minerals in a few locations specifically after the dust events, while the subsequent rain events were less polluted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhanu Radha Svv
- Water Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Shuwaikh, Kuwait.
| | - Amjad Al-Rashidi
- Water Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Shuwaikh, Kuwait
| | | | - Bedour Alsabti
- Water Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Shuwaikh, Kuwait
| | - Yousef Al-Wazzan
- Water Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Shuwaikh, Kuwait
| | - Umayadoss Saravana Kumar
- Isotope Hydrology Section, Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, IAEA, Vienna, Austria
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Cabello M, Dueñas C, Liger E, Gordo E, Cañete S. Variables influencing the gross alpha and gross beta activities in airborne particulate samples in Málaga, Spain. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-017-5674-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Dueñas C, Gordo E, Liger E, Cabello M, Cañete S, Pérez M, Torre-Luque PDL. 7Be, 210Pb and 40K depositions over 11 years in Málaga. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2017; 178-179:325-334. [PMID: 28965023 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The monthly bulk depositional fluxes of three natural radionuclides (7Be, 210Pb and 40K) were measured at a Mediterranean coastal station (Málaga) over an 11-year period from 2005 to 2015. The mean annual depositional fluxes of 7Be, 210Pb and 40K were 1215, 144 and 67 Bq m-2 year-1 respectively, showing a clear seasonal trend with minimum values recorded during summer and maximum values in winter. The rainfall regime with dry summers allows estimating the dry deposition. Assuming constant dry deposition through each year, 7Be, 210Pb and 40K would account for 12.5, 26.5 and 33% of the bulk fallout respectively which indicates that deposition for 210Pb and 40K are significantly higher than 7Be. The precipitation-normalized enrichment factor alpha used to explain seasonal variations in the depositional fluxes of radionuclides with respect the rainfall, indicates higher depositional fluxes during spring and summer than expected from the amount of rainfall. Despite their different origin, 210Pb and 7Be monthly depositional fluxes have strong correlation. The atmospheric deposition fluxes of 7Be, 210Pb and 40K were controlled mainly by the amount of rainfall (r = 0.89, 0.91 and 0.66 respectively). Moreover, principal component analysis was applied to the datasets and deposition of radionuclides and rainfall in the same component highlighting the importance of the washout mechanism. The mean depositional velocity of aerosols evaluated using 7Be and 210Pb are similar and are compared to other published values.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Dueñas
- Department of Applied Physics I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain.
| | - E Gordo
- Department of Applied Physics I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - E Liger
- Department of Applied Physics II, Technical College Informatic Engineering, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - M Cabello
- Department of Applied Physics I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - S Cañete
- Department of Applied Physics I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - M Pérez
- Department of Radiology and Health Physics, Ophthalmology and OTI, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - P de la Torre-Luque
- Department of Applied Physics I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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Khaniabadi YO, Fanelli R, De Marco A, Daryanoosh SM, Kloog I, Hopke PK, Conti GO, Ferrante M, Mohammadi MJ, Babaei AA, Basiri H, Goudarzi G. Hospital admissions in Iran for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases attributed to the Middle Eastern Dust storms. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:16860-16868. [PMID: 28573562 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9298-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to assess the possible effects of airborne particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter (PM10) from the Middle Eastern Dust (MED) events on human health in Khorramabad (Iran) in terms of estimated hospital admissions (morbidity) for cardiovascular diseases (HACD) and for respiratory diseases (HARD) during the period of 2015 to 2016. The AirQ program developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) was used to estimate the potential health impacts to daily PM10 exposures. The numbers of excess cases for cardiovascular/respiratory morbidity were 20/51, 72/185, and 20/53 on normal, dusty, and MED event days, respectively. The highest number of hospital admissions was estimated for PM10 concentrations in the range of 40 to 49 μg/m3, i.e, lower than the daily (50 μg/m3) limit value established by WHO. The results also showed that 4.7% (95% CI 3.2-6.7%) and 4.2% (95% CI 2.6-5.8%) of HARD and HACD, respectively, were attributed to PM10 concentrations above 10 μg/m3. The study demonstrates a significant impact of air pollution on people, which is manifested primarily as respiratory and cardiovascular problems. To reduce these effects, several immediate actions should be taken by the local authorities to control the impacts of dust storms on residents' health, e.g., developing a green beltway along the Iran-Iraq border and management of water such as irrigation of dry areas that would be effective as mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuef Omidi Khaniabadi
- Health Care System of Karoon, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Roberto Fanelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, IRCCS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche, Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra De Marco
- Department of Territorial and Production Systems Sustainability, ENEA, Rome, Italy.
| | | | - Itai Kloog
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard University, 665 Huntington Avenue, Landmark Center Room 415, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Philip K Hopke
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA
| | - Gea Oliveri Conti
- Environmental and Food Hygiene Laboratories (LIAA) of Department of Medical Sciences, Surgical and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", Hygiene and Public Health, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Margherita Ferrante
- Environmental and Food Hygiene Laboratories (LIAA) of Department of Medical Sciences, Surgical and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", Hygiene and Public Health, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Ali Akbar Babaei
- Environmental Technologies Research Center (ETRC), Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Hassan Basiri
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Goudarzi
- Environmental Technologies Research Center (ETRC), Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
- Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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Spatial and Temporal Variation of the Extreme Saharan Dust Event over Turkey in March 2016. ATMOSPHERE 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos8020041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Burgos MA, Mateos D, Cachorro VE, Toledano C, de Frutos AM. Aerosol properties of mineral dust and its mixtures in a regional background of north-central Iberian Peninsula. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 572:1005-1019. [PMID: 27524724 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
To broaden the knowledge about desert dust (DD) aerosols in western Mediterranean Basin, their fingerprints on optical and microphysical properties are analyzed during DD episodes in the north-central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula between 2003 and 2014. Aerosol columnar properties obtained from the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET), such as aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström exponent (AE), volume particle size distribution, volume concentration (VC), sphericity, single scattering albedo, among others, are analyzed in order to provide a general characterization, being some of them compared to particle mass surface concentrations PM10, PM2.5, and their ratio, data obtained from EMEP network. The mean intensity of DD episodes exhibits: AOD440nm=0.27±0.12, PM10=24±18μg/m3, AE=0.94±0.40 and PM2.5/PM10=0.54±0.16. The AOD and PM10 annual cycles show maximum intensity in March and summer and minima in winter. A customized threshold of AE=1 distinguishes two types of dusty days, those with a prevailing desert character and those of mixed type, which is corroborated by sphericity values. Three well established intervals are obtained with the fine mode volume fraction (VCF/VCT). Coarse-mode-dominated cases (VCF/VCT≤0.2) present a mineral dust character: e.g., particle maximum concentration about 2μm, non-sphericity, stronger absorption power at shorter wavelengths, among others. The relevance of the fine mode is noticeable in mixtures with a predominance of particles about 0.2-0.3μm radii. Conditions characterized by 0.2<VCF/VCT<0.45 and VCF/VCT≥0.45 present a larger variability in all investigated aerosol properties. Relationships between AOD and columnar particle volume concentration give volume extinction efficiencies between 1.7 and 3.7μm2/μm3 depending on VCF/VCT. Aerosol scale height is obtained from relationships between surface and columnar concentrations displaying very large values up to 10km. The uncertainty associated with the transformation between AOD and PM10 can be partially reduced when the aerosol microphysical properties are known.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Burgos
- Grupo de Óptica Atmosférica, Universidad de Valladolid, Paseo Belén 7, CP 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - D Mateos
- Grupo de Óptica Atmosférica, Universidad de Valladolid, Paseo Belén 7, CP 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - V E Cachorro
- Grupo de Óptica Atmosférica, Universidad de Valladolid, Paseo Belén 7, CP 47011 Valladolid, Spain.
| | - C Toledano
- Grupo de Óptica Atmosférica, Universidad de Valladolid, Paseo Belén 7, CP 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - A M de Frutos
- Grupo de Óptica Atmosférica, Universidad de Valladolid, Paseo Belén 7, CP 47011 Valladolid, Spain
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8
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Factors controlling temporal variability of gamma radionuclides and major-ions of bulk deposition in Málaga. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-016-4724-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Barrero MA, Orza JAG, Cabello M, Cantón L. Categorisation of air quality monitoring stations by evaluation of PM(10) variability. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 524-525:225-36. [PMID: 25897730 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Revised: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Air Quality Monitoring Networks (AQMNs) are composed by a number of stations, which are typically classified as urban, suburban or rural, and background, industrial or traffic, depending on the location and the influence of the immediate surroundings. These categories are not necessarily homogeneous and distinct from one another, regarding the levels of the monitored pollutants. A classification providing groups with these features is of interest for air quality management and research purposes, and therefore, other classification criteria should be explored. In this work, the variations of PM10 concentrations in 43 stations in the AQMN of the Basque Country in the period 2005-2012 have been studied to group them according to common characteristics. The characteristic variations in time are synthesised by the autocorrelation function (ACF), with both daily and hourly data, and by the average diurnal evolution pattern of the normalised concentrations on a seasonal basis (Evol-P). A methodology based on k-means clustering of these features is proposed. Each classification gives a different piece of information that has been phenomenologically related with specific dispersion and emission dynamics. The classification based on Evol-Ps is found to be the most influential one when comparing PM10 levels between groups. A combination of these categorisations provides 5 groups with significantly different levels of PM10, improving the discrimination of the conventional classification. Our results indicate that the time series of the pollutant concentrations contain enough information to provide an objective classification of the monitoring stations in an AQMN.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Barrero
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country, P. Manuel de Lardizabal, 3, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - J A G Orza
- SCOLAb, Department of Physics, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Av. de la Universidad, s/n, edificio Alcudia, 03202 Elche, Spain.
| | - M Cabello
- SCOLAb, Department of Physics, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Av. de la Universidad, s/n, edificio Alcudia, 03202 Elche, Spain.
| | - L Cantón
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country, P. Manuel de Lardizabal, 3, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain.
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Garrison VH, Majewski MS, Konde L, Wolf RE, Otto RD, Tsuneoka Y. Inhalable desert dust, urban emissions, and potentially biotoxic metals in urban Saharan-Sahelian air. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 500-501:383-394. [PMID: 25243921 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.08.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Revised: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Saharan dust incursions and particulates emitted from human activities degrade air quality throughout West Africa, especially in the rapidly expanding urban centers in the region. Particulate matter (PM) that can be inhaled is strongly associated with increased incidence of and mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and cancer. Air samples collected in the capital of a Saharan-Sahelian country (Bamako, Mali) between September 2012 and July 2013 were found to contain inhalable PM concentrations that exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) and US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) PM2.5 and PM10 24-h limits 58 - 98% of days and European Union (EU) PM10 24-h limit 98% of days. Mean concentrations were 1.2-to-4.5 fold greater than existing limits. Inhalable PM was enriched in transition metals, known to produce reactive oxygen species and initiate the inflammatory response, and other potentially bioactive and biotoxic metals/metalloids. Eroded mineral dust composed the bulk of inhalable PM, whereas most enriched metals/metalloids were likely emitted from oil combustion, biomass burning, refuse incineration, vehicle traffic, and mining activities. Human exposure to inhalable PM and associated metals/metalloids over 24-h was estimated. The findings indicate that inhalable PM in the Sahara-Sahel region may present a threat to human health, especially in urban areas with greater inhalable PM and transition metal exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- V H Garrison
- US Geological Survey, 600 4th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA.
| | - M S Majewski
- US Geological Survey, 6000 J St., Sacramento, CA 95819-6129, USA.
| | | | - R E Wolf
- US Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Lakewood, CO 80225-0046, USA.
| | - R D Otto
- US Department of State, Office of Medical Services, 2401 E. Street NW, Washington, DC 20522-0101, USA.
| | - Y Tsuneoka
- Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka, No. 20 Gregory's Road, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka.
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Goudie AS. Desert dust and human health disorders. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2014; 63:101-13. [PMID: 24275707 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2013] [Revised: 10/06/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Dust storms may originate in many of the world's drylands and have an effect not only on human health in the drylands themselves but also in downwind environments, including some major urban centres, such as Phoenix, Kano, Athens, Madrid, Dubai, Jedda, Tehran, Jaipur, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. In some parts of the world dust storms occur frequently throughout the year. They can transport particulate material, pollutants, and potential allergens over thousands of km from source. The main sources include the Sahara, central and eastern Asia, the Middle East, and parts of the western USA. In some parts of the world, though not all, the frequency of dust storms is changing in response to land use and climatic changes, and in such locations the health implications may become more severe. Data on the PM10 and P2.5 loadings of dust events are discussed, as are various pollutants (heavy metals, pesticides, etc.) and biological components (spores, fungi, bacteria, etc.). Particulate loadings can far exceed healthy levels. Among the human health effects of dust storms are respiratory disorders (including asthma, tracheitis, pneumonia, allergic rhinitis and silicosis) cardiovascular disorders (including stroke), conjunctivitis, skin irritations, meningococcal meningitis, valley fever, diseases associated with toxic algal blooms and mortality and injuries related to transport accidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Goudie
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, United Kingdom.
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Makra L, Ionel I, Csépe Z, Matyasovszky I, Lontis N, Popescu F, Sümeghy Z. The effect of different transport modes on urban PM(10) levels in two European cities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 458-460:36-46. [PMID: 23639910 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the study is to identify transport patterns that may have an important influence on PM10 levels in two European cities, namely Szeged in East-Central Europe and Bucharest in Eastern Europe. 4-Day, 6-hourly three-dimensional (3D) backward trajectories arriving at these locations at 1200 GMT are computed using the HYSPLIT model over a 5-year period from 2004 to 2008. A k-means clustering algorithm using the Mahalanobis metric is applied in order to develop trajectory types. Two statistical indices are used to evaluate and compare exceedances of critical daily PM10 levels corresponding to the trajectory clusters. For Bucharest, the major PM10 transport can be clearly associated with air masses arriving from Central and Southern Europe, as well as the Western Mediterranean. Occasional North African dust intrusions over Romania are also found. For Szeged, Southern Europe with North Africa, Central Europe and Eastern Europe with regions over the West Siberian Plain are the most important sources of PM10. The occasional appearance of North-African-origin dust over Hungary is also detected. A statistical procedure is developed in order to separate medium- and long-range PM10 transport for both cities. Considering the 500 m arrival height, long-range transport plays a higher role in the measured PM10 concentration both for non-rainy and rainy days for Bucharest and Szeged, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Makra
- Department of Climatology and Landscape Ecology, University of Szeged, HU-6701 Szeged, P.O. Box 653, Hungary.
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