desert dust

desert dust storms

Dust storms affect many desert areas of the world. Event frequency and dust concentrations may both be very high.

dust in cities

Dust is not restricted to deserts, some major cities are also affected. Finer dust is carried the furthest sometimes >10,000 km. Finer dust provokes more health effects than coarser dust - reaches alveoli.

Saharan windblown dust

origin of dust 

Deserts, especially dried out lakes in depressions, which may include salts. Loess are thick layers of wind-blown silt and clay built up over millions of years. Seasonal silt and clay deposits from glacial melt waters.

high latitude dust storms

Active outwash from melting glaciers may be a source of dust storms. Outwash includes high proportion of rock flour - fine silt made by grinding of rocks in and beneath glaciers.

dust compositions

silicosis

Silicosis is the most common chronic pneumoconiosis: desert dusts are mainly quartz. Much less studied than silicosis occupation-related cohorts. Also asthma exacerbation, cardiovascular diseases and infectious diseases.

desert dust and health in Iran

Number of people admitted for cardiovascular diseases (HACD top) and respiratory diseases (HARD bottom) to a hospital in Iran relative to PM10 concentration in air, for cohorts at high (black), medium (blue) and low (red) risk.

meningitis and dust

Hypothesis: inflammation of the nasopharynx (back of nasal passage) by dry, dusty winds allows N. meningitis to enter blood stream and brain.