Effect of atmospheric mixing layer depth variations on urban air quality and daily mortality during Saharan dust outbreaks.

ABSTRACT: Several epidemiological studies have shown that the outbreaks of Saharan dust over southern European countries can cause negative health effects. The reasons for the increased toxicity of airborne particles during dust storms remain to be understood although the presence of biogenic factors carried by dust particles and the interaction between dust and man-made air pollution have been hypothesized as possible causes. Intriguingly, recent findings have also demonstrated that during Saharan dust outbreaks the local man-made particulates can have stronger effects on health than during days without outbreaks. We show that the thinning of the mixing layer (ML) during Saharan dust outbreaks, systematically described here for the first time, can trigger the observed higher toxicity of ambient loc

SUBMITTER: Pandolfi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4794744 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature