African Dust: What chemical elements were detected in the atmosphere of Attica

A wave of African dust covered the entire country on Tuesday (4/23), “painting” the sky orange and making the atmosphere in Attica particularly stifling, resulting in several people experiencing respiratory problems.

The phenomenon began to recede on Wednesday (24/4), however, there were not a few who wondered about what substances were released into the Attic sky, resulting in an increase in attendance at the emergency rooms of hospitals.

The Hellenic Geological and Mineral Research Authority (EAGME) collected and analyzed samples of African dust, which they analyzed with the new JSM-IT500L scanning electron microscope.

As noted by EAGME, optically the dust does not exceed 10μm in size, while its chemical composition includes the elements aluminum (Al), silicon (Si) and calcium (Ca) with a minimum percentage of iron (Fe) and titanium (Ti ).

Finally, EAGME states that “African dust is essentially a toy which floats and moves due to the wind and its small size”.

What does EAGME say in detail

“What the EAGME electron microscope showed about the African dust

EAGME collected and analyzed using the new state-of-the-art scanning electron microscope JSM-IT500L, which has the ability to magnify up to 300,000 times, a sample of the African dust that has covered Attica in recent days.

Optically, the powder does not exceed 10μm in size, while its chemical composition includes the elements aluminum (Al), silicon (Si) and calcium (Ca) with a minimum percentage of iron (Fe) and titanium (Ti).

African dust is essentially a plaything that floats and moves due to the wind and its small size. The following photos show the first results from the qualitative analysis of the African dust.”