What is the case with heavy metals in the dust from the Sahara and how can we properly protect ourselves?
The sky of Attica and other parts of Greece turned orange and later red. Twitter/X and social media “raged” about it Dune 3 that we live in and questions about what brought the dust from the Sahara and what it causes to our health, are making the rounds on the internet.
What is this orange-red powder?
The grains of sand from the Sahara desert travel several thousand kilometers to reach Greece, a phenomenon that happens every spring in our country, but in recent years the phenomenon has become more intense.
Saharan dust is a mixture of sand and dust from the desert that covers most of North Africa. When the winds blow strongly over that area, then large masses of this dust are carried in their direction. Most of the time, the direction is towards the nearby Mediterranean countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus).
The only way dust gets on the ground is through rain. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, this dust can carry bacteria, fungi and heavy metals, including lead and arsenic.
The satellite data of the American NASA Aqua satellite that passed over our country show in high resolution this intense wave of African dust of “Minerva red”, which continues today to create a bad climate in the sky of Attica.
The first trend on Twitter is African dust
Between serious, funny and heavy metal, Twitter/X first trended the dust with tweets full of humor and concern.
The recommendations of the Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health, following information received from the Ministry of Environment and Energy and with a view to protecting public health, recommends the following guidelines as precautionary measures for the public at this time.
For people at increased risk
- People with respiratory problems
- Heart patients
- children as well
- people over 65 years old
All of the above should avoid any physical exercise-activity outdoors.
It is also recommended to avoid staying outdoors, especially in areas with increased traffic.
- People with asthma may need more frequent inhalations of reliever medicine. If symptoms persist, it is recommended to contact the attending physician.
For the rest of the population
Every person is advised to avoid any physical exercise outdoors and to limit the time spent outdoors especially in areas with increased traffic.
During his stay indoors, doors, balcony doors and windows should be kept closed.
However, the images from the dust of the Sahara are impressive.
Main photo: intime
Tags: recommendations health
