Desert Dust Over Europe Increases Significantly, Scientists Warn

Desert dust blowing into Europe from sources like the Sahara has become a growing concern, even as the continent works to reduce air pollution from traditional sources. A new study published in the scientific journal 'Nature' indicates a clear increase in desert dust concentration across Europe over the past decade.

The research, conducted by scientists from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in collaboration with over 50 international researchers, analyzed a decade of data from more than 100 European air quality monitoring stations. They combined this data with modeling and artificial intelligence tools to create the most comprehensive map to date of desert dust concentration in Europe. Additionally, they used data from ice cores drilled from the Colle Gnifetti glacier on the Swiss-Italian border to compare current levels with those from the last 150 years.

The findings are concerning: desert dust concentration over southern Europe now averages 5.3 micrograms per cubic meter of air, more than double the levels in central and northern Europe, which average 2.1 micrograms per cubic meter. Over the analyzed decade, the amount of desert dust has increased by approximately half a microgram per cubic meter annually. This represents a 10-25% increase in dust pollution.

Scientists warn that this rise has significant implications. Kaspar Dällenbach, the project leader from PSI Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences, stated that this increase is not negligible, impacting both the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of large photovoltaic installations and posing risks to human health. The study also utilized ice core data, which showed that desert dust concentration in the region has more than doubled over the last 150 years, since the beginning of the industrial era. Researchers used aluminum concentration as an indicator for desert dust, as it is characteristic of particles carried from deserts.

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Odpowiada to wzrostowi zanieczyszczenia tym pyłem o 10–25 proc. To nie jest wartość, którą można uznać za nieistotną – zarówno z punktu widzenia wydajności i opłacalności dużych instalacji fotowoltaicznych, jak i wpływu zwiększonego zanieczyszczenia pyłami na zdrowie ludzi.