The Saharan dust plume: Current knowledge on the impact on health, human activities, and the ecosystem, with comments on research gaps

Abstract

A massive amount of dust estimated at a million tons is released from the Sahara Desert each year into the atmosphere and travels over the North Atlantic Ocean, commonly referred to as the Saharan dust plume (SDP). With its ability to travel over very long distances across the sea, the SDP is of enormous global importance, affecting climatic processes, and playing a significant role in nutrient cycles, sedimentary cycles, and soil development. On the other hand, from an environmental health perspective, the SDP degrades air quality, posing serious health threats to humans, especially to people with lung conditions. Recent literature documents health issues, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and even death in extreme cases. Despite this knowledge, large uncertainties exist in our ability to predict future trends in Saharan dust emissions and model-projected atmospheric circulation patterns. Employing a comprehensive search of the recent literature, this study reviews present knowledge of the sources, composition and propagation dynamics of the SDP and the impact of its contained atmospheric particulates on health, ecosystems, and human activities to be able to formulate credible mitigation measures and unveil areas where further research is needed for improving on these formulations. A comprehensive list of the more recent references (mainly post-dating 2010) is assembled to aid the search process of those wanting to contribute to filling these important knowledge gaps.