West Africans have long known the haze season to be one of dry skin and chapped lips, but a recent study led by Susanne Bauer of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies suggests that dusty skies are more than a nuisance. Her analysis indicates that they are deadly for hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Is the Saharan dust harmful to humans?

"The suspended particulate matter can irritate bronchial passages and lungs. In addition to causing cough and wheezing, dust can make chronic respiratory illnesses (such as asthma) worse, and increase the risk for respiratory infections like bronchitis and pneumonia," the email reads.

Can Sahara dust cause death?

The consequences of breathing in the dust can include everything from sneezing, coughing, difficult breathing to premature death, Zhang said. “If you already have a respiratory issue, you've been sick, and the higher pollutant level just shortens the lifespan.

Is dust bad for your lungs?

Dust particles and dust-containing macrophages collect in the lung tissues, causing injury to the lungs. The amount of dust and the kinds of particles involved influence how serious the lung injury will be. For example, after the macrophages swallow silica particles, they die and give off toxic substances.

How long does the Saharan dust last?

Saharan dust “season” runs from mid-June to mid-August and peaks in late June. Scientists track the layer of dry, dusty air via satellite.

How African Dust Feeds Florida's Crops

40 related questions found

How do you protect yourself from Sahara dust?

The dust arrives

1. Stay indoors. Saharan Dust Tip: Limit exertion and outdoor activities. ...
2. Keep windows and doors closed. Saharan Dust Tip: Keep windows and doors closed. ...
3. Protect your eyes, nose and mouth. Saharan Dust Tip: Protect your eyes. ...
4. Watch out for symptoms and treat accordingly.

How do you get rid of Saharan dust?

Removing the gel from within the spines and dropping a few tablespoons in a blender with fresh citrus juice provides for a great dust remedy. The anti-inflammatory agents can soothe irritation in the throat and nose, especially if you've been coughing.

Is Sahara dust radioactive?

Dust from one of the largest deserts in the world, Sahara has blown north through strong seasonal winds to France and along with this, it has carried some rather serious levels of radiation with it. ... What's surprising is that the radioactive nature of this dust is actually due to the activities France did in the past.

Does the US still do nuclear testing?

The US ended all underground nuclear tests in the early 1990s in the lead-up to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, despite protests from the heads of the nation's three national weapons labs—Lawrence Livermore, Sandia, and Los Alamos—who fought “tooth and nail” to prevent the ban, says Gusterson.

Is most of North Africa desert?

The Sahara is the world's largest desert; it extends across most of the northern part of Africa.

What is it called when radioactive dust settles on the desert?

After a nuclear explosion, debris and soil can mix with radionuclides. This mixture is sent up into the air and then falls back to Earth. It is called fallout and it typically contains hundreds of different radionuclides.

How bad is the Sahara dust?

As it heads to sea, the Saharan dust layer — a two-mile-wide mass of very dry wind moving up to 50 miles per hour — is bad for cloud formation. ... “The layer can actually rip the storm apart, rip the clouds apart. And the dryness, which is not good for clouds, can make them collapse.”

Are dust storms bad?

Dust storms can make it difficult to see when you're driving a car and can lead to car accidents. Dust in the air can cause serious problems for airplanes. Dense dust can reduce visibility for pilots, causing delays and cancellations. Dust storms can also cause mechanical problems in airplanes.

Can you breathe in a sandstorm?

Smaller dust particles, however, can get deep into the lungs and cause irritation and inflammation. This can cause problems with breathing, especially if you already have a health issue with your lungs. For some people, breathing in the dust from a dust storm can cause an asthma attack or other breathing problem.

Can dust storms make you sick?

Prolonged exposure to airborne dust can lead to chronic breathing and lung problems, and possibly heart disease.

What is Sahara dust made of?

Saharan dust is a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, the vast desert area that covers most of North Africa.

How do dust storms affect human health?

Dust particle size is a key determinant of potential hazard to human health. ... Inhalable particles, those smaller than 10 μm, often get trapped in the nose, mouth and upper respiratory tract, thus can be associated with respiratory disorders such as asthma, tracheitis, pneumonia, allergic rhinitis and silicosis.

Why do you take your foot off the brake in a dust storm?

If dense dust is observed blowing across or approaching a roadway, pull your vehicle off the pavement as far as possible, stop, turn off lights, set the emergency brake, take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are not illuminated.

Do sandstorms hurt?

Did you know that sandstorms can really hurt and even kill people? That's quite scary. It is the number 3 weather condition that can cause serious harm to people in the US. They are also called 'haboobs' in the US, which comes from the Arabic word 'hab' which means 'wind.

How do you survive a sandstorm?

Cover as much of your body as possible to protect yourself from flying sand. Wind-propelled sand can hurt, but a dust storm's high winds can also carry heavier (more dangerous) objects. If you find yourself without shelter, try to stay low to the ground and protect your head with your arms, a backpack or a pillow.

Was the Sahara an ocean?

New research describes the ancient Trans-Saharan Seaway of Africa that existed 50 to 100 million years ago in the region of the current Sahara Desert. The region now holding the Sahara Desert was once underwater, in striking contrast to the present-day arid environment. ...

How far can dust travel?

They extend from the sea surface to as high as 10 kilometers. Griffin and his colleagues believe that the upper portions of the dust clouds serve to filter out UV light, which is lethal to microorganisms.

Why is Africa so dusty?

Saharan dust

The Sahara is the major source on Earth of mineral dust (60-200 million tons per year). Saharan dust can be lifted by convection over hot desert areas, and can thus reach very high altitudes; from there it can be transported worldwide by winds, covering distances of thousands of kilometers.

How far away from a nuke is safe?

Death is highly likely and radiation poisoning is almost certain if one is caught in the open with no terrain or building masking effects within a radius of 0–3 km from a 1 megaton airburst, and the 50% chance of death from the blast extends out to ~8 km from the same 1 megaton atmospheric explosion.

What happened on female downwinders?

Effects of radiation on female downwinders. The primary long-term health hazard associated with exposure to ionizing radiation as a result of nuclear fallout is an increased risk for cancers of the thyroid, other solid tumor cancers, and leukemia.