University of Nova Gorica contributes to discovery that desert sand pollution is increasing in Europe
Researchers from the Center for Atmospheric Research at the University of Nova Gorica, as part of a broader international research group, published findings in the prestigious scientific journal Nature demonstrating that there is increasingly more Saharan sand over southern Europe. The increase is not the result of more frequent events in which winds carry desert sand northward, but rather of higher concentrations when the sand does arrive, which has a detrimental effect on residents' health.
Dust concentrations increased consistently across much of Europe between 2012 and 2021, with some of the largest rises in southern Europe and the Mediterranean region, according to research in Nature. This trend may be associated with changes in atmospheric circulation and long-term desertification in North Africa. "Everything indicates that the climate changes we humans are causing also affect natural phenomena," notes Assoc. Prof. Dr. Griša Močnik, head of the Center for Atmospheric Research at the University of Nova Gorica, who participated in the study. The authors warn that worsening dust pollution could increasingly affect air quality and public health.
Mineral desert dust is a major component of airborne particulate matter and can harm health, including through increased risks of asthma and mortality. Although rising dust outbreaks have been reported in parts of Europe, whether this trend extends across the continent and what is driving it have been unclear.
The international research group compiled around 18,500 daily measurements of dust-related metals (aluminium, titanium, silicon, calcium, and iron) from 103 rural and urban sites across Europe and used them to develop a machine learning model of daily dust concentrations between 2012 and 2021. They found that dust concentrations increased across most of Europe during the study period, with some of the largest increases occurring over Italy, the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea. By 2021, transported dust accounted for 31% of the World Health Organization annual PM10 (particulate matter that are 10 micrometres or smaller in diameter) guideline value in southern Europe. Here, residents experienced an average of about 46 dust episodes per year, with dust levels during these events associated with about a 0.67% increase in daily mortality.
The authors found that while dust pollution events did not become more frequent, they became more severe in parts of southern Europe. Analysis of Alpine ice cores also indicated that dust deposition has increased by around 110% since preindustrial times, suggesting a long-term rise in dust linked to increasing aridity in North Africa and changes in atmospheric circulation patterns.
The authors conclude that dust pollution may become a growing challenge for public health and air quality goals.
Researchers from the Center for Atmospheric Research at the University of Nova Gorica, in collaboration with pilot Matevž Lenarčič, the European Space Agency, and the companies Haze Instruments d.o.o. and Aerosol d.o.o., are using ground- and air-based measurements to distinguish the contributions of Saharan sand and soot to atmospheric warming.
Title of the article: Rising dust pollution across Europe in a changing climate
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