The winds that blow from the Sahara-Sahel desert reach our cities, transporting natural particles that contribute to increase the concentrations of PM10

(particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 µm) over the daily limit recommended by the EU and the WHO. The health effects of Saharan dust are still poorly understood.

A study conducted in Rome, and recently published in the Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine, shows an increase in hospitalizations for respiratory diseases associated with an increase in concentrations of PM2.5-10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter between 2.5 and 10 µm) during the Saharan days. In the same days, there was also an increase in hospitalizations for cerebrovascular diseases due to an increase in the levels of PM10. These results suggest a different role of the components of Saharan dust on the toxicity of PM2.5-10 and of PM10.

The characterization of Saharan events is the subject of the European project LIFE+ MED-PARTICLES, which is coordinated by the Department of Epidemiology. The project aims, among other scopes, to distinguish the local and natural components of air pollution by particulate matter and to study its effects on human health.

To know more:

“Saharan dust and the association between particulate matter and daily hospitalisations in Rome, Italy”

Sintesi dello studio (30.93 kB)

MED-PARTICLES project