Persons with respiratory illnesses advised to limit outdoor presence
Air quality index used by WHO (for reference)
Air quality index used by WHO (for reference)

–other vulnerable groups also urged to be cautious as Sahara dust affects air quality across several regions

PERSONS with respiratory illnesses and other vulnerable groups have been advised to limit their outdoor presence in order to safeguard themselves against the Sahara dust which is making its way across various countries.

According to an advisory from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Hydrometeorological Service (Met Office), air-quality monitoring has determined that the concentration of particulate matter has exceeded the World Health Organization’s standards in several regions across Guyana.

Particulate matter, as described by the EPA, is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye. Others are so small they could only be detected using an electron microscope.

“The increase in concentrations of particulate matter is due to the significant amounts of dust travelling across the northern tropical Atlantic to the Caribbean from the Sahara region, commonly known as the Sahara Dust Phenomenon or the Saharan Air Layer,” the authorities related.

Owing to this phenomenon, hazy conditions are expected and visibility could be poor in some areas.

“High concentrations of particulate matter may affect vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and persons with respiratory illnesses. These persons are advised to limit their presence outdoors,” the EPA and Met Office advised.

Persons were encouraged to visit www.epaguyana.org for access to real-time updates on the air quality in their local areas.

National Geographic had reported in 2020 that the Saharan dust plume is a supersized version of ones that cross the Atlantic all the time, ferrying particles that irritate lungs but also fertilise plant and ocean life.

The report further stated that the expanses of dry desert in northern Africa are the biggest, most consistent sources of dust in the world.

“In the summer, a pulse of dust rolls off the continent every few days. Once cooler air masses from the ocean propel it high into the atmosphere, the dust can float for days if not weeks, depending on how high and how dry the air gets. East-to-west trade winds sweep it across the Atlantic toward the Caribbean and U.S. in a few days. As the dust plume moves, bits of it fall in a steady rain of particles,” National Geographic reported.

Usually, the dust sparkles thousands of feet above Earth’s surface. But this plume is not only much bigger than usual, it’s much lower too.

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