A long-term experimental study of the Saharan dust presence in West Africa

Sunnu, Albert K.; Afeti, George; Resch, F.

doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2007.07.004

Cited by 46 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Average Total Suspended Particles (TSP) concentrations (0.5-25 μm particles) of 18, 53, and 134 μg.m −3 , were found in 1996, 1997, and 1998, respectively, in Ghana, at a distance of 3000 Km from dust production zones, during Hartmattan wind periods (Afeti and Resch, 2000). These values were much lower than measurements performed in the same country by Sunnu et al (2008) with an OAS instrument, during a 9 year period between 1996 and 2005 where annual mean concentrations ranged from 160 to 1204 μg.m …”

Section: Pm Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 41%

“…The larger mode had a maximum at 3 μm, being attributed to Saharan advected dust. Sunnu et al (2008) performed extensive particle size distribution measurements in Ghana during Harmattan periods (November to March), between 1996 and 2005, with an AOS instrument measuring in the size range of 0.5-25 μm. Annual mass size distributions revealed two modes: a smaller mode at Dp < 0.5 μm and a higher mode for coarser particles with maxima in the range 3-9 μm.…”

Section: Size Distributionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Seasonal variability of aerosol concentration and size distribution in Cape Verde using a continuous aerosol optical spectrometer

Pio

Cardoso

Cerqueira

et al. 2014

Front. Environ. Sci.

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One year of, almost continuous, measurements of aerosol optical properties and chemical composition were performed at the outskirts of Praia, Santiago Island, Cape Verde, within the framework of CV-DUST (Atmospheric aerosol in Cape Verde region: seasonal evaluation of composition, sources and transport) research project, during 2011. This article reports the aerosol number and mass concentration measurements using a GRIMM Optical Aerosol Spectrometer that provides number size discrimination into 31 size ranges from 0.25 to 32 μm. Time series of 5 min average PM 10 concentrations revealed peak values higher than 1000 μg.m −3 during winter dust storm events originating over Northern Africa. The 24 h average concentrations exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for PM 2.5 and PM 10 in 20 and 30% of the 2001 days, respectively. Annual average mass concentrations (±standard deviation) for PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 were 5 ± 5, 19 ± 21, and 48 ± 64 μg.m −3 , respectively. The annual PM 2.5 and PM 10 values were also above the limits prescribed by the WHO (10 and 20 μg.m −3 , respectively). The aerosol mass size distribution revealed two main modes for particles smaller than 10 μm: a fine mode (0.7-0.8 μm), which possibly results of gas to particle conversion processes; and a coarse mode with maxima at 3-4 μm, which is associated with desert dust and sea salt sources. Within the coarse mode two sub-modes with maxima at 5-6 and 10-12 μm were frequently present.

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Section: Pm Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 41%

Section: Size Distributionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variability of aerosol concentration and size distribution in Cape Verde using a continuous aerosol optical spectrometer

Pio

Cardoso

Cerqueira

et al. 2014

Front. Environ. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Among other places, the dust is transported from the Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea by north-easterly trade winds in a southwesterly direction. It can thus be found specifically in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and the Côte d'Ivoire (Sunnu et al 2008). According to D'Almeida (1986), overall 60 % of the total particles from the Sahara Desert are transported to the Gulf of Guinea.…”

Section: Dust-health Relationship -Publication Datementioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to D'Almeida (1986), overall 60 % of the total particles from the Sahara Desert are transported to the Gulf of Guinea. The number of particles, mass distribution, dust flows, deposition rate and the mean size of the particles have been estimated in several countries, especially in Ghana Resch 2000, Resch et al 2007;Sunnu et al 2008), Mali (McTainsh et al 1997 and Nigeria (Anuforom 2007). These studies show that the dust quantity (which varies from year to year) is greater in the northern parts of these countries and that the dust particles become finer in size as they move further south.…”

Section: Dust-health Relationship -Publication Datementioning

confidence: 99%

Desert dust impacts on human health: an alarming worldwide reality and a need for studies in West Africa

et al. 2012

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High desert dust concentrations raise concerns about adverse health effects on human populations. Based on a systematic literature review, this paper aims to learn more about the relationship between desert dust and human health in the world and to analyse the place of West Africa as a study area of interest. Papers focussing on the potential relationship between dust and health and showing quantitative analyses, published between January 1999 and September 2011, were identified using the ISI Web of Knowledge database (N050). A number of adverse health effects, including respiratory, cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary diseases, are associated with dust. This survey highlights obvious dust impacts on human health independently of the study area, health outcomes and method. Moreover, it reveals an imbalance between the areas most exposed to dust and the areas most studied in terms of health effects. None of these studies has been conducted in West Africa, despite the proximity of the Sahara, which produces about half of the yearly global mineral dust. In view of the alarming results in many parts of the world (Asia, Europe, America), this paper concludes by stressing the importance of carrying out impact studies of Saharan dust in West Africa, where dust events are more frequent and intense than anywhere else.

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“…Among other places, the dust is transported from the Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea by north-easterly trade winds in a south-westerly direction. It can thus be found specifically in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and the Côte d'Ivoire (Sunnu et al, 2008). The dry, dusty wind is one of the predominant atmospheric phenomena in West Africa, known as the Harmattan.…”

Section: Origin and Movement Of Desert Dustmentioning

confidence: 99%

What do we know about effects of desert dust on air quality and human health in West Africa compared to other regions?

Longueville¹,

Hountondji²,

Henry³

et al. 2010

Science of The Total Environment

160

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This study aims to compare, on the one hand, the geographical distribution of the desert dust source areas, their contribution to quantities emitted into the atmosphere, the trajectories and the quantities deposited, with on the other hand the areas of research interest focused on the desert dust impacts on air quality and/or human health. Based on a systematic review of the literature using the ISI Web of Knowledge database, we found 231 articles published over the last decade on the desert dust impacts on air quality. Of these, 48% concerned Asian dust and 39% Saharan dust, with the remaining 13% divided between the other dust source areas. However, only one of these studies addressed the worsening air pollution in West Africa, even though it is very close to the Sahara, the greatest contributor to the global dust budget. Moreover, there have been very few studies (41) looking at the direct links between desert dust and human health; in this context too, no interest has been shown in West Africa. Yet this region is also among the areas in which morbidity rates have been noted to be far higher than those found in other regions of the world, and where respiratory infections alone account for more than 20% of the causes of infant mortality. This survey highlights a clear imbalance between those areas most exposed to dust and the most studied areas in terms of dust impacts. Given these findings and the often alarming results published about other regions of the world, we advocate a revival of interest in research on West Africa in order to achieve a better understanding of the desert dust impacts on air quality and health among the populations of this region.

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A long-term experimental study of the Saharan dust presence in West Africa

Cited by 46 publications

References 26 publications

Seasonal variability of aerosol concentration and size distribution in Cape Verde using a continuous aerosol optical spectrometer

Seasonal variability of aerosol concentration and size distribution in Cape Verde using a continuous aerosol optical spectrometer

Desert dust impacts on human health: an alarming worldwide reality and a need for studies in West Africa

What do we know about effects of desert dust on air quality and human health in West Africa compared to other regions?

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