“The new wave of Sahara dust that will reach south-eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean this week risks having negative effects on the air quality and health of millions of citizens.” This was highlighted by the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (Sima), commenting on the alarm launched by the EU weather service, Copernicus.
“What comes from the Sahara is not sand, since the grains in size and weight cannot be transported over long distances, but rather the finest dust with an average diameter of 20 microns that covers the North African desert – explains president Alessandro Miani – Dust that can rise up to 10 thousand meters above sea level and be transported for thousands of kilometres, arriving in Italy. It is estimated that around 180 million tonnes of dust rises from the Sahara every year, in addition to the PM2.5 and PM10 already present. present in the atmosphere, with repercussions – he warns – on the public health front”.
“The subjects most at risk are children, the elderly, heart patients and those suffering from respiratory diseases, starting from asthma – continues Miani – In fact, dust can also have heavy metals inside it and join the pollutants already present in the air, and end up being inhaled by humans. It is no coincidence that a study published in the international scientific journal ‘Occupational and Environmental Medicine’ has found an increase in hospital admissions for respiratory causes in the presence of Saharan dust in the air that of avoiding exposure to desert dust as much as possible – he concludes – especially for subjects who already suffer from illnesses or respiratory disorders”.
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