Atmospheric Pollution by Iceland Volcano Lava Dispersion - the Brussels Case

Abstract

In April 2010 the Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull stratovolcano emitted large clouds of volcanic ashes that provoked chaotic situations for the air traffic of the Northern hemisphere. The impact of the resulting atmospheric pollution may have widespread effects on the health of the populations living in the affected regions. For this reason, the study of the airborne particles brought by the ash clouds must cover not only their concentrations expressed in μg/m 3 , but also their size, shape and chemical composition. Our results revealed that during the eruption days, some periods with a higher concentration of the coarse particles (between 2.5 and 10 μm) were observed. The sphericity (R1) and roughness (R2) parameters showed specific characteristics of the particles, suggesting long distance of their origin. Furthermore, an increase up to 4 times more in the At% of the elements K, Al, Ca, Na and Si, which characterize the felsic lava, was observed during the eruption period.

Dust Particles as a Pesticide’s Carrier in Agro-Ecosystems; Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

“…They can remove vast amounts of topsoil, destroy yields and pasture lands, and cover infrastructures [1]. Dust can occur naturally, e.g., pollens, volcanic ashes, and sandstorms [2][3][4][5][6][7]. These may include mineral dust, coal, and cement, and metallic dust: such as lead, cadmium, and nickel [8]; chemical dust and pesticide spray drift (pesticide movement through the air to a non-target site during or after application) [9]; organic compounds such as wood, and cotton tea dust, pollens; biohazards, and molds and spores.…”

“…The frequency of dust storms in the Middle East has increased and is expected to rise further under future climate change [6,7,18]. Dust storms are common in the Middle East, most frequently occurring across Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Sahara [19,20].…”