Due to a high concentration of fine particles (PM10) linked to the passage of sand mists, Guadeloupe was placed this Friday on red alert for air quality by the Gwadair air monitoring network.
The concentrations of fine particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10) in the air “should exceed 80 µg / m3, on average over 24 hours”, a value corresponding to the regulatory red alert threshold, can we read in a press release from Gwad’Air, responsible for monitoring air quality on the archipelago and in Saint-Martin. This sand comes from the African deserts and more particularly from the Sahara desert. This phenomenon is visible from April to October and tends to strengthen from year to year, with an increasingly significant recurrence, according to specialists.
A phenomenon that should last
“The readings are taken every morning”, indicated Céline Garbin, study engineer at Gwad’Air, anticipating a “persistence” of the phenomenon, for several more days, since the weather forecast “does not predict rain or wind, conditions for a dispersion of the phenomenon”.
During the occurrence of these mists, the sky in the Antilles becomes milky, opaque and foggy. The physical effects are numerous: respiratory discomfort, itchy eyes, itchy throat and a strong feeling of heat grips the inhabitants.
To prevent the effects on health, the health recommendations enjoin “vulnerable” people to restrict outings, sports practice and activities near highways.
Pregnant women are particularly targeted by health guidelines: in 2019, a study showed a link between premature deliveries in Guadeloupe and exposure to sand mists.
The sand mists are also “according to an international study of 2006”, details the Gwad’air site, fertilizers for the soil because the transported sand is “rich in phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium”. Their role in the growth of Sargassum algae is also studied.