Health and Safety Effects of Airborne Soil Dust in the Americas and Beyond

Author:

Tong Daniel Q.1ORCID,Gill Thomas E.2ORCID,Sprigg William A.3,Van Pelt Robert Scott4,Baklanov Alexander A.5ORCID,Barker Bridget Marie6ORCID,Bell Jesse E.7,Castillo Juan8ORCID,Gassó Santiago9ORCID,Gaston Cassandra J.10ORCID,Griffin Dale W.11,Huneeus Nicolas12,Kahn Ralph A.13ORCID,Kuciauskas Arunas P.14,Ladino Luis A.15ORCID,Li Junran16ORCID,Mayol‐Bracero Olga L.17ORCID,McCotter Orion Z.18,Méndez‐Lázaro Pablo A.19ORCID,Mudu Pierpaolo20,Nickovic Slobodan21ORCID,Oyarzun Damian222324,Prospero Joseph10ORCID,Raga Graciela B.15,Raysoni Amit U.25ORCID,Ren Ling1,Sarafoglou Nikias1,Sealy Andrea26ORCID,Sun Ziheng1,Vimic Ana Vukovic27ORCID

Affiliation:

1. George Mason University Fairfax VA USA

2. Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences University of Texas at El Paso El Paso TX USA

3. Science Policy Consultants and University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA

4. USDA‐ARS Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Big Spring TX USA

5. World Meteorological Organization Geneva Switzerland

6. Pathogen and Microbiome Institute Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA

7. Department of Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health College of Public Health University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha NE USA

8. Pan‐American Health Organization Washington DC USA

9. University of Maryland/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USA

10. Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences University of Miami Miami FL USA

11. United States Geological Survey St. Petersburg FL USA

12. Departamento de Geofísica Universidad de Chile Santiago Chile

13. Earth Sciences Division NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USA

14. Marine Meteorology Division United States Naval Research Laboratory Monterey CA USA

15. Instituto de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y Cambio Climático Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Mexico City Mexico

16. Department of Geography The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China

17. Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton NY USA

18. Oregon Health Authority Portland OR USA

19. Environmental Health Department Graduate School of Public Health University of Puerto Rico‐Medical Sciences Campus San Juan PR USA

20. World Health Organization Geneva Switzerland

21. Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia Belgrade Serbia

22. Departamento de Geofísica Universidad de Chile Santiago de Chile Chile

23. Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2 Santiago de Chile Chile

24. Department of Geography University College London London UK

25. School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Brownsville TX USA

26. Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology St. James Barbados

27. Faculty of Agriculture University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia

Abstract

AbstractRisks associated with dust hazards are often underappreciated, a gap between the knowledge pool and public awareness that can be costly for impacted communities. This study reviews the emission sources and chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of airborne soil particles (dust) and their effects on human and environmental health and safety in the Pan‐American region. American dust originates from both local sources (western United States, northern Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina) and long‐range transport from Africa and Asia. Dust properties, as well as the trends and interactions with criteria air pollutants, are summarized. Human exposure to dust is associated with adverse health effects, including asthma, allergies, fungal infections, and premature death. In the Americas, a well‐documented and striking effect of soil dust is its association with Coccidioidomycosis, commonly known as Valley fever, an infection caused by inhalation of soil‐dwelling fungi unique to this region. Besides human health, dust affects environmental health through nutrients that increase phytoplankton biomass, contaminants that diminish water supply and affect food (crops/fruits/vegetables and ready‐to‐eat meat), spread crop and marine pathogens, cause Valley fever among domestic and wild animals, transport heavy metals, radionuclides and microplastics, and reduce solar and wind power generation. Dust is also a safety hazard to road transportation and aviation, in the southwestern US where blowing dust is one of the deadliest weather hazards. To mitigate the harmful effects, coordinated regional and international efforts are needed to enhance dust observations and prediction capabilities, soil conservation measures, and Valley fever and other disease surveillance.

Funder

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NOAA Research

Publisher

American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Subject

Geophysics

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