Dust particles are not just an annoyance. A new study indicates that “dust particles thrown up from deserts such as the Sahara and Gobi are playing a previously unknown role in air pollution.”
While aged dust particles from deserts were considered to be too big and dry to have a chemical reaction, they actually facilitate the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA).
What’s happening?
Published in National Science Review in a collaborative effort between China, the UK, Japan, and other nations, the study found that “around 50% of water-soluble secondary organic aerosols, primarily considered as SOA, are found in coarse (supermicron) dust particles.”
This contradicts what scientists previously thought: that secondary organic aerosols are formed in water droplets or fine particles.
“This discovery marks a major advance in understanding the chemistry of secondary organic aerosols,” co-lead author and University of Birmingham Professor Zongbo Shi said.
Shi added, “We’ve found that water-containing aged dust can act like a sponge and a reactor — absorbing gaseous pollutants and transforming them into particles that affect our health and the climate.”
Researchers found that aged dust, which had reacted with nitric acid to form calcium nitrate, was able to absorb water even in low humidity — 8% humidity. Then, substances like glyoxal in its gas form can “dissolve, react, and form aqueous-phase secondary organic aerosol.”
As a statement detailed, “They showed that these dust-driven reactions could account for up to two-thirds of total secondary organic aerosol in some of the world’s dustiest regions, from North Africa to East Asia — orders of magnitude more than previous estimates.”
Why is air pollution concerning?
With “air pollution from fine particles linked to millions of premature deaths annually and [contributing] to climate change,” as the researchers observed, this discovery will help protect people’s health because it will lead to the development of better pollution controls and improve forecasts.
Air pollution is also a concern for people who have cardiometabolic disease, as a new study found that they are more at risk for dementia and mild cognitive impairment.
What’s being done about air pollution?
Studies like this are crucial to understanding air pollution and combating the problem. Additional research on the topic is resulting in potential breakthroughs.
For example, a Sheffield University study found that mycorrhizal fungi convert air pollution into sugars, which plants intertwined with the fungi then feed on — one possible solution to air pollution.
Combating air pollution is complex; that’s why it’s vital to explore critical climate issues to discover ways to mitigate the problem.
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