“Godzilla” as you have named the sand cloud that comes from the Sahara desert and that has caused curiosity about this environmental phenomenon, has as its main characteristic a positive impact on air quality and visibility in the skies. According to meteorological analysts, airborne mineral dust absorbs sunlight and regulates temperature.
This peculiar layer of Saharan dust that has been crossing to the west of the Atlantic Ocean and that has moved over the Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, the Gulf of Mexico, the coasts of the United States and spread to Central America and even part of the eastern Pacific Ocean is made up of 100 million tons of dust, according to NASA.
However, much of the content of this mass is staying in the route it makes when crossing the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from Africa.
The dust contains minerals that fertilize the ocean and the land; In this sense, the soils of various countries through which the cloud passes could benefit. On the other hand, since it is a highly arid and dry compound, it inhibits the formation of hurricanes and clouds, explain environmental and atmospheric researchers.
The African deserts, the Sahara being the largest, emit about 800 million metric tons of fine dust particles into the atmosphere, and every summer, between the months of July and August, they head towards the Caribbean, impacting the countries of the region.
However, in this year, 2020 the phenomenon has been presented with a difference because it is the largest mass that has originated in the last 50 years and its permanence could be four days in the area and then ascend to the Gulf of Mexico and move to Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida in the United States.
As it is a highly arid and dry compound, it inhibits the formation of hurricanes and clouds.
Photo: Adobe Stocl
In their transit through the planet, the dust particles that largely constitute crushed, very fine rock, made up of different chemical elements such as phosphorus and nitrogen, benefit the earth and serve as fertilizer for plants.
On the other hand, it can favor the marine ecosystem. According to NASA research, when dust falls into the ocean, the lightest particles stay in the area where microorganisms such as phytoplankton or animal bacteria are, which can make use of it and release useful nutrients that serve as food. to other organisms.
Several studies have shown that in vast regions such as the Amazon, the presence of dust containing phosphorous and iron has obtained fertilizer for the growth of forests. Meanwhile, in the sea the algae grow and produce more oxygen.
How this powder affects human health
However epidemiological research has shown that dust buds from the Sahara can also cause negative health effects.
When contacting the dust in humans can cause health problems such as allergies and asthma attacks due to the high content of bacteria, viruses, spores, trace minerals such as iron, mercury and pesticides that the dust presents.
These polluting particles are collected as they pass through deforested areas in North Africa, particularly the sub-Saharan countries that are affected by desertification generated by the intensive depletion of forests, due to the uncontrolled use of natural resources, the Integration System reported. Central American (SICA).
Recent findings indicate that local artificial particles may have stronger health effects during dust outbreaks in the Sahara than on non-outbreak days. Cloud could influence higher observed air toxicity in local environment, study says Effect of variations in the depth of the atmospheric mix layer on urban air quality and daily mortality during dust outbreaks in the Sahara, from the United States National Center for Biotechnology Information.
According to studies, the effects of dust storms on human health include 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 algae bloom and mortality, as well as injuries related to transport accidents, research indicates Desert dust and human health disorders, also from the US National Center for Biotechnology Information.
The Washington Post He published an article explaining that “dust that is deposited in the ocean can promote the growth of various species of bacteria, including vibrio. The metal compounds contained in the powder provide food for bacteria, which favors their proliferation. According to At CDC, vibrio is most common between May and October, but can remain year-round in climates where the water is warm enough. Vibrio is problematic if ingested, primarily associated with undercooked shellfish. “
Vicente Román, a renowned allergist explained to a Spanish media that “if the cloud is persistent it can cause chest pain that sometimes triggers anxiety attacks.”
“As long as the accelerated wind from the east continues to arrive, the dust from the Sahara will also continue to affect our environment, so it is advisable to use a mask to avoid inhaling these particles of contaminated dust that in some cases can make us sick and in other cases sharpen the pictures due to respiratory diseases that we already have, “SICA recommended.
So it is recommended to follow some tips, especially people with chronic respiratory diseases (COPD or asthma), older adults, pregnant women and children should use respiratory protectors such as masks.
If you get to have the sensation of foreign bodies in the eyes, wash with plenty of water. It is preferable to use drinking or boiled water and wash your hands before starting the procedure.
It is also recommended to cover water sources such as wells, containers or water storage ponds to avoid water contamination and to use personal protective equipment such as goggles, face masks or a damp cloth handkerchief to protect the nose and mouth.
Another suggestion is to moisten the floor of the houses before sweeping to avoid resuspension of the dust that could accumulate on the floor.
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