Airborne mineral dust poses a safety challenge for aviation. Several fatal accidents have happened in dust-laden air due to reduced visibility, strong gusty winds, and wind shear. Dust-induced icing also contributed at least to two fatal accidents. Furthermore, atmospheric dust has long- and short-term effects on aircraft operating conditions due to corrosion and abrasion on the aircraft surfaces and molten ingress deterioration of engine hot section components. The combined impact can increase operating and maintenance costs and increase the overall cost of ownership. While the scientific community has started preparing and providing products based on atmospheric dust modeling and observation, there are still important data and information gaps in the fundamental science. These include (i) insufficient data which could be used to better understand the effects of dust on aircraft as well as on ground systems and operations (e.g., four-dimensional information of dust mineralogy, cost-benefit analysis of the impact of dust on aviation along flight routes), (ii) the identification of airborne dust monitoring and modeling products and services that could enable the flow of relevant information in commercial aviation and in decision-making workflows, and (iii) the underdeveloped, unclear, or absent role of dust hazards in regulations and operational procedures as well as in the training, skill set, and knowledge base of pilots. This review is aimed at both academic and aviation stakeholders and presents the current state-of-the-art knowledge at the intersection of dust hazards, aviation safety, and impacts on flight operations and aircraft maintenance.
Faced with the challenges posed by climate change, Serbian viticulture is looking for sustainable solutions for adaptable production. This study shows that grass is a multifunctional tool for overcoming the challenges of intensive viticulture while maintaining the quality of the grapes. In a three-year research experiment (2020–2022), the maintenance of an inter-row sward in a vineyard with four certified high-quality French Cabernet Sauvignon clones was investigated, and its effects on the ampelographic composition of the grapes and the quality of the grape juice (must) were studied as a function of wine quality. A grass sward was established between the rows as a biological soil management system and as a climate change adaptation measure in a high-intensity viticultural system. A grass–legume mixture was used as an inter-row cover crop, with nitrogen applied in two doses (50 and 100 kg ha−1) in spring. The growth of the grasses responded to the nitrogen fertilisation, which was reflected in the biomass production, surface cover and nitrogen content in the biomass. At the end of the study, the biomass of the grass increased threefold when a high dose of nitrogen was applied compared to the non-fertilised grass. In contrast to the effects of nitrogen on the sward, N has no effect on the quantitative or qualitative parameters of the grapes. Clone 169 was separated for most grape mechanical parameters such as the bunch mass, all berries and the bunch stem; clone 15 showed the best grape juice quality parameters such as the sugar content and glycoacidometric index. The results show an option for climate change adaptation in viticulture that can mitigate the effects of rising temperatures, contribute to soil conservation and carbon storage in biomass and enable timely interventions in vineyards after heavy rainfall by creating accessible paths within the vineyards. The three-year effect of the different nutrient management of the sward in the inter-rows of Cabernet Sauvignon showed that the interaction between the two systems, sward and vine, is low and has no negative impact on the ampelographic and qualitative grape parameters.
BACKGROUND:Social inequalities contribute to health disparities. This study aimed to map evidence on early childhood caries (ECC) related to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG 10). METHODS:A scoping review was conducted in May 2024 following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL for studies published in English and addressing population level social inequalities. Studies measuring individual level of social inequalities were excluded as they were covered by other SDGs. However, studies incorporating individual measures as additional measures of population level social inequality were included. Retrieved papers were summarized, inductively analysed and a conceptual framework linking SDG 10 was developed. RESULTS:Of 452 studies retrieved, 42 met the inclusion criteria. Studies measured inequality among groups (deprivation, family income, indigenous communities, ethnicity, minority status) [14 studies], institutions (type of school, nursery or school facility, school poverty index, public primary health care units) [five studies], and inequality in communities (neighbourhood socio-economic status, Human Development Index, employment rate, income inequality, sanitary sewer and water supply, residents/household ratio, urban vs rural vs remote rural, accessibility index, location index, the slope index of inequality) [24 studies]. These levels of social inequalities were linked to higher prevalence of ECC; social and economic policies contributed to widening inequalities in ECC severity; and although effective interventions targeted at at-risk populations could reduce dental health disparities, study interventions differed by deprivation status. Six studies (14.3%) addressed SDG 10.1, 33 (78.6%) addressed SDG 10.2, 11 (26.2%) addressed SDG 10.3, and three (7.1%) addressed SDG 10.4. Fourteen studies (33.3%) addressed a combination of SDGs. The conceptual framework highlights the role of structural inequalities stemming from the cumulative impact of institutional decisions and systemic inequalities. CONCLUSION:This scoping review underscores the profound influence of social inequality on ECC through interactions between multi-level factors. Further research is needed to explore the links between ECC and other SDG 10 targets, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
Background Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a prevalent chronic non-communicable disease that affects millions of young children globally, with profound implications for their well-being and oral health. This paper explores the associations between ECC and the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8). Methods The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. In July 2023, a search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using tailored search terms related to economic growth, decent work sustained economic growth, higher levels of productivity and technological innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, and efforts to eradicate forced labor, slavery, and human trafficking and ECC all of which are the targets of the SDG8. Only English language publications, and publications that were analytical in design were included. Studies that solely examined ECC prevalence without reference to SDG8 goals were excluded. Results The initial search yielded 761 articles. After removing duplicates and ineligible manuscripts, 84 were screened. However, none of the identified studies provided data on the association between decent work, economic growth-related factors, and ECC. Conclusions This scoping review found no English publication on the associations between SDG8 and ECC despite the plausibility for this link. This data gap can hinder policymaking and resource allocation for oral health programs. Further research should explore the complex relationship between economic growth, decent work and ECC to provide additional evidence for better policy formulation and ECC control globally.
BACKGROUND:Understanding of socioeconomic context might enable more efficient evidence-based preventive strategies in oral health. AIM:The study assessed the caries-related socioeconomic macro-factors in 12-year-olds across European countries. DESIGN:This systematic review involved epidemiological surveys on the caries status of 12-year-olds from 2011 to 2022. DMFT was analyzed in relation to gross national income (GNI), United Nations Statistical Division geographical categorization of European countries (M49), unemployment rate, Human Development Index (HDI), and per capita expenditure on dental health care. A meta-analysis was performed for countries reporting data on DMFT, stratified by GNI, and geographical location of European countries, using a random-effects model. RESULTS:The study involved 493 360 children from 36 countries in the geographic region of Europe. The analysis confirmed a strong negative correlation between income and caries experience (p < .01). Children living in higher-income countries showed 90% lower odds of poor oral health than in middle-income countries. Children living in West Europe showed 90% lower odds of poor oral health than children living in East Europe. CONCLUSION:The strong effect of macro-level socioeconomic contexts on children's oral health suggests favoring upstream preventive oral health strategies in countries with economic growth difficulties, Eastern and Southern parts of Europe.
Background The Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12) promotes patterns that minimize waste and maximize resource utilization. It is therefore plausible that preventing Early Childhood Caries (ECC) and promoting oral health can contribute to sustainable consumption. In addition, sustainable consumption and production can contribute to the control of ECC. This scoping review aimed to explore the possible evidence on the link between ECC and the SDG12 targets. Methods This scoping review identified articles on the link between resource consumption and production and caries according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) were systematically searched in August 2023, using specific search terms. Studies written in English, with full text available, addressing dental caries and linked with waste minimization and resource utilization maximisation, with results that could be extrapolated to ECC in children less than 6 years of age) were included. Descriptive statistics were planned to summarize the categories of retrieved papers. Results The initial search yielded 904 articles, with 863 screened for eligibility after the removal of duplicates. No studies were identified that reported data on an association between responsible consumption and production of resources factors and ECC. Conclusion This scoping review did not identify any articles published in English on evidence of the direct associations between ECC and SDG12 targets. However, there is a plausibility of such a link using minimum intervention dentistry for ECC management as a waste prevention and resource utilisation maximization strategy.
BackgroundEarly childhood caries (ECC) is a global public health challenge that requires innovation, infrastructure, and health system influences to bolster initiatives for its management and control. The aim of this scoping review was to investigate the published evidence on the association between ECC and the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG9) concerned with industry, innovation, and infrastructure development.MethodsThe scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus between July and August 2023 using a search strategy related to the promotion of resilient infrastructure, sustainable industries, scientific research and innovation, access to the internet and ECC. Only English language publications were included. Studies that solely examined ECC without reference to the SDG9 targets were excluded.ResultsThe search yielded 933 studies for review. After screening for the eligibility and removing duplicates, 916 unique articles remained for further screening. However, none of the identified studies provided data on the association between resilient infrastructure, sustainable industries, scientific research and innovation, access to the internet and ECC.ConclusionThere were no primary studies that assessed the association between ECC and SDG9, even though the plausibility of a potential relationship exists. Future studies are needed to generate evidence on the link between ECC and SDG9 as this link may contribute to the reduction in the proportion of children with untreated ECC.
Analysis of climate change in Serbia was done using the data available from the Digital Climate Atlas of Serbia. It includes observed climate change and future climate change projections according to scenarios of greenhouse gases emissions, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, until the end of 21st century, compared to the reference period 1961-1990. According to the main climate change indicator, change of average air temperature, climate change is accelerating. Results showed that climate conditions in the mid-century period are known with high reliability, while changes of climate conditions in the second half of the century depend on reductions of global net emissions of greenhouse gases, i.e. on the fulfillment of the Paris agreement. In this paper, the changes in climate hazards are presented. They are of highest significance for risk increase in health and safety and in agriculture. For the mid-century period, an expected increase of average air temperature for Serbia is about 3.1?C. Expected frequency of extreme precipitation is at least once per year. Each year is most likely expected to be a year with drought. Average frequency of days per year, with temperatures above 35?C, for the territory of Serbia, will be in the range of 9-13, compared to one day in the reference period. In the paper the summary of climate change characteristics in Serbia is also given, based on the presented results and results derived from the literature, categorized into groups of climate hazards, which cause: too warm conditions, too wet conditions, too dry conditions and storms.
Abstract Introduction The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 calls for universal access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), which are crucial elements of health and well-being and fundamental for a life in dignity. Early childhood caries (ECC) is a preventable disease affecting health and quality of life of millions of young children worldwide. This scoping review aims to explore the connection between ECC and access to clean water and sanitation. Methods This scoping review, registered on the Open Science Framework and following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, conducted a thorough search in databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, SciELO) and websites (via Google) in November 2023. The search, without date limitations, targeted studies in English and Spanish linking ECC to SDG6. Exclusions were made for studies solely focusing on ECC without a direct connection to clean water and sanitation. Descriptive statistics summarized the retrieved papers. Results The initial search yielded 303 articles. After removing duplicates, 264 articles remained for title and abstract screening after which 244 were excluded and one report was added through citation searching. The 21 remaining articles underwent full text review. There were no studies on a direct association between access to clean water and sanitation and the prevalence of ECC. There were nine studies that showed indirect associations between ECC and access to clean water and sanitation through the links of: water and sanitation access as a marker for poverty (n = 1), water consumption as a feeding practice (n = 4), and the effectiveness of water fluoridation (n = 4). These were used to develop a conceptual model. Conclusions While it is conceivable that a direct link exists between ECC and access to clean water and sanitation, the available body of research only offers evidence of indirect associations. The exploration of potential pathways connecting water access to ECC warrants further investigation in future research.
BACKGROUND:Early childhood caries (ECC) is a multifactorial disease in which environmental factors could play a role. The purpose of this scoping review was to map the published literature that assessed the association between the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, which tried to make cities and human settlements safe, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, and ECC. METHODS:This scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. In July 2023, a search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using tailored search terms related to housing, urbanization, waste management practices, and ECC. Studies that solely examined ECC prevalence without reference to SDG11 goals were excluded. Of those that met the inclusion criteria, a summary highlighting the countries and regions where the studies were conducted, the study designs employed, and the findings were done. In addition, the studies were also linked to relevant SDG11 targets. RESULTS:Ten studies met the inclusion criteria with none from the African Region. Six studies assessed the association between housing and ECC, with findings suggesting that children whose parents owned a house had lower ECC prevalence and severity. Other house related parameters explored were size, number of rooms, cost and building materials used. The only study on the relationship between the prevalence of ECC and waste management modalities at the household showed no statistically significant association. Five studies identified a relationship between urbanization and ECC (urbanization, size, and remoteness of the residential) with results suggesting that there was no significant link between ECC and urbanization in high-income countries contrary to observations in low and middle-income countries. No study assessed the relationship between living in slums, natural disasters and ECC. We identified links between ECC and SDG11.1 and SDG 11.3. The analysis of the findings suggests a plausible link between ECC and SDG11C (Supporting least developed countries to build resilient buildings). CONCLUSION:There are few studies identifying links between ECC and SDG11, with the findings suggesting the possible differences in the impact of urbanization on ECC by country income-level and home ownership as a protective factor from ECC. Further research is needed to explore measures of sustainable cities and their links with ECC within the context of the SDG11.
Viticulture production, like the entire agriculture, is subject to climate changes related to a significant increase in air temperature. High air temperatures during the ripening period negatively affect the yield and quality of grapes. Apart from the increase in air temperature, grape production is also affected by rainfall and the frequency of extreme events. Climate projections for the future predict a further increase in air temperature and a change in the most important viticultural indices. The analysis shows that there has been a change in the climate category according to WI and HI values, and in some areas also CI. The Drought Index (DI) does not show significant changes in the first two periods (2021- 2040; 2041-2060), in contrast to the increased frequency of droughts and the extension of the duration of the dry period during the year. Since the most significant risks in viticulture come from high temperatures during the grape ripening period and from hail and stormy weather during the growing season, appropriate adaptation measures are needed.
The commercial apple production in Norway is limited to the small regions along the fjords in the southwest part of the country and around lakes or near the sea in the southeast with favorable climate. Due to the rapid rate of climate change over the recent decades, it is expected that suitable heat conditions for apple growing will expand to the areas that were previously too cold. This study analyses the heat suitability of future climate (2021–2100) under the RCP8.5 scenario for 6 common apple varieties in Norway: Discovery, Gravenstein, Summerred, Aroma, Rubinstep and Elstar. Previously established heat requirement criteria (based on the temperature threshold for the full blooming and growing degree days sum between the full bloom and harvest) are applied to the temperature outputs of the regional climate models downscaled to 1 km resolution. The assessment indicates that as temperature rises, heat conditions suitable for cultivation of all 6 apple varieties will expand. According to the ensemble median value, areas with the favorable heat conditions for growing at least one of the considered apple varieties will increase 25 times in the period 2021–2040 and 60 times in the period 2041–2060, compared to the referent period 1971–2000. At the same time, areas suitable for all 6 apple varieties will increase 3 times in the first, and 3.8 times in the latter period. The favorable areas will advance from south and southeast northwards and inland in the eastern region, along the west and northwestern coastline towards higher latitudes, and along continental parts of fjords. The fastest expansion of heat suitable conditions is expected for Discovery and Gravenstein. The findings of this study are relevant for zoning apple production future potential and for strategical planning of climate change adaptation measures within the sector. Weather-related risks, such as risks from winter low temperatures, spring frost, drought and extreme precipitation were not considered.
Climate change, which manifests through shifts in temperature, rainfall patterns, and the frequency of extreme events like droughts and floods, has a substantial impact on agricultural production and food security. This study investigates the influence of climate change on the irrigation needs of apple, pear, and plum crops in two fruit-growing districts in western Serbia, specifically in the Kolubara and Morava districts. This research aims to provide valuable insights for farmers to plan and adapt their production strategies in response to evolving climate conditions. To estimate the water requirements, crop evapotranspiration (ETc), effective rainfall (Pe), and water deficit (In) were determined using historical climate data from meteorological stations in Valjevo (Kolubara district) and Požega (Morava district) for the observed period (1961 - 2021). For projecting future water requirements (2021 - 2040), we employed data from eight regional climate models within the EURO – CORDEX project. The analysis of water requirements for apple, pear, and plum was conducted for both grassed and non-grassed orchards. In the Kolubara district, the average seasonal water deficit during the observed period was 356 mm in grassed orchards and 191 mm in non-grassed orchards, with the most significant irrigation requirements occurring in July and August, representing 60 - 70% of the seasonal water requirement. Looking ahead to the future period (2021 - 2040), the average water deficit increases to 401 mm in grassed orchards and 202 mm in non-grassed orchards, marking a 13% and 6% rise, respectively, compared to the observed period. This signifies a need for 1 to 2 additional irrigation sessions. In the Morava district, the average seasonal water deficit during the observed period was 403 mm in grassed orchards and 236 mm in non-grassed orchards, with the highest irrigation requirements in June, July, and August, accounting for 80 - 90% of the seasonal water requirement. Due to an anticipated increase in total precipitation in the future period (2021 - 2040) in the Morava district, there is a decrease in the seasonal water deficit by 3% in grassed orchards and 16% in non-grassed orchards. However, even with reduced water requirements in the future, there remains a significant requirement for irrigation in May, June, July, and August when rainfall is limited.
BackgroundChild neglect is a public health, human rights, and social problem, with potentially devastating and costly consequences. The aim of this study was to: (1) summarize the oral health profile of children across the globe; (2) provide a brief overview of legal instruments that can offer children protection from dental neglect; and (3) discuss the effectiveness of these legal instruments.MethodsWe summarized and highlighted the caries profile and status of implementation of legislation on child dental neglect for 26 countries representing the World Health Organization regions: five countries in Africa (Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe), eight in the Americas (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Unites States of America, Uruguay), six in the Eastern Mediterranean (Egypt, Iran, Libya, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia), four in Europe (Italy, Latvia, Serbia, United Kingdom), two in South-East Asia (India and Indonesia) and one country (China) with its special administrative region (Hong Kong) in the Western Pacific.ResultsTwenty-five of the 26 countries have legal instruments to address child neglect. Only two (8.0%) of these 25 countries had specific legal instruments on child dental neglect. Although child neglect laws can be interpreted to establish a case of child dental neglect, the latter may be difficult to establish in countries where governments have not addressed barriers that limit children's access to oral healthcare. Where there are specific legal instruments to address child dental neglect, a supportive social ecosystem has also been built to facilitate children's access to oral healthcare. A supportive legal environment, however, does not seem to confer extra protection against risks for untreated dental caries.ConclusionsThe institution of specific country-level legislation on child dental neglect may not significantly reduce the national prevalence of untreated caries in children. It, however, increases the prospect for building a social ecosystem that may reduce the risk of untreated caries at the individual level. Social ecosystems to mitigate child dental neglect can be built when there is specific legislation against child dental neglect. It may be more effective to combine public health and human rights-based approaches, inclusive of an efficient criminal justice system to deal with child dental neglect.
Mineral dust produced by wind erosion of arid and semiarid surfaces is a major component of atmospheric aerosol that affects climate, weather, ecosystems, and socioeconomic sectors such as human health, transportation, solar energy, and air quality. Understanding these effects and ultimately improving the resilience of affected countries requires a reliable, dense, and diverse set of dust observations, fundamental for the development and the provision of skillful dust-forecast-tailored products. The last decade has seen a notable improvement of dust observational capabilities in terms of considered parameters, geographical coverage, and delivery times, as well as of tailored products of interest to both the scientific community and the various end-users. Given this progress, here we review the current state of observational capabilities, including in situ, ground-based, and satellite remote sensing observations in northern Africa, the Middle East, and Europe for the provision of dust information considering the needs of various users. We also critically discuss observational gaps and related unresolved questions while providing suggestions for overcoming the current limitations. Our review aims to be a milestone for discussing dust observational gaps at a global level to address the needs of users, from research communities to nonscientific stakeholders.
The mineralogical composition of airborne dust particles is an important but often neglected parameter for several physiochemical processes, such as atmospheric radiative transfer and ocean biochemistry. We present the development of the METAL-WRF module for the simulation of the composition of desert dust minerals in atmospheric aerosols. The new development is based on the GOCART-AFWA dust module of WRF-Chem. A new wet deposition scheme has been implemented in the dust module alongside the existing dry deposition scheme. The new model includes separate prognostic fields for nine (9) minerals: illite, kaolinite, smectite, calcite, quartz, feldspar, hematite, gypsum, and phosphorus, derived from the GMINER30 database and also iron derived from the FERRUM30 database. Two regional model sensitivity studies are presented for dust events that occurred in August and December 2017, which include a comparison of the model versus elemental dust composition measurements performed in the North Atlantic (at Izaña Observatory, Tenerife Island) and in the eastern Mediterranean (at Agia Marina Xyliatos station, Cyprus Island). The results indicate the important role of dust minerals, as dominant aerosols, for the greater region of North Africa, South Europe, the North Atlantic, and the Middle East, including the dry and wet depositions away from desert sources. Overall, METAL-WRF was found to be capable of reproducing the relative abundances of the different dust minerals in the atmosphere. In particular, the concentration of iron (Fe), which is an important element for ocean biochemistry and solar absorption, was modeled in good agreement with the corresponding measurements at Izaña Observatory (22% overestimation) and at Agia Marina Xyliatos site (4% overestimation). Further model developments, including the implementation of newer surface mineralogical datasets, e.g., from the NASA-EMIT satellite mission, can be implemented in the model to improve its accuracy.
Agricultural production is already, and obviously, affected by climate change. Adapting to climate change includes reducing future risks to ensure yield quality and quantity and considers seizing any potential opportunities induced by climate change. In higher latitude areas, such as Norway, cold climate limits the cultivation of fruits. An increase in temperature offers more favorable conditions for fruit production. In this study, using available phenological observations (full blooming) and harvest dates, and meteorological data from the experimental orchard of NIBIO Ullensvang, the minimum heat requirements for growing different apple varieties are determined. Those criteria are used for zoning of the areas with heat favorable conditions for apple growing. Data on six varieties were used, with lower and higher requirements for heat for fruit development (Discovery, Gravenstein, Summerred, Aroma, Rubinstep, and Elstar). High resolution daily temperature data were generated and used for zoning of the areas with heat favorable conditions for apple growing within the selected domain, which includes Western Norway, Southern Norway, Eastern Norway, and the western part of Trøndelag, Mid-Norway. Dynamics of the change in such surfaces was assessed for the period of 1961–2020. The total surface with favorable heat conditions for growing the varieties with lesser requirement for heat increased three times during this period. The growing of more heat-demanding varieties increased from near zero to about 2.5% of the studied land surface. In the period of 2011–2020, surface area with favorable heat conditions for apple growing was almost 27,000 km2, and a surface area of about 4600 km2 can sustain growing of more heat-demanding varieties. The presented results show the increasing potential of the climate of Norway for apple cultivation and highlight the importance of implementation of fruit production planned according to climate change trends, including the assessment of potential risks from climate hazards. However, the methodology for determining heat requirements can be improved by using phenological ripening dates if available, rather than harvest dates which are impacted by human decision. Zoning of areas with the potential of sustainable apple growing requires the use of future climate change assessments and information on land-related features.
Risks 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.
Dust particles from high latitudes have a potentially large local, regional, and global significance to climate and the environment as short-lived climate forcers, air pollutants, and nutrient sources. Identifying the locations of local dust sources and their emission, transport, and deposition processes is important for understanding the multiple impacts of high-latitude dust (HLD) on the Earth's systems. Here, we identify, describe, and quantify the source intensity (SI) values, which show the potential of soil surfaces for dust emission scaled to values 0 to 1 concerning globally best productive sources, using the Global Sand and Dust Storms Source Base Map (G-SDS-SBM). This includes 64 HLD sources in our collection for the northern (Alaska, Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, Sweden, and Russia) and southern (Antarctica and Patagonia) high latitudes. Activity from most of these HLD sources shows seasonal character. It is estimated that high-latitude land areas with higher (SI ≥0.5), very high (SI ≥0.7), and the highest potential (SI ≥0.9) for dust emission cover >1 670 000 km2, >560 000 km2, and >240 000 km2, respectively. In the Arctic HLD region (≥60∘ N), land area with SI ≥0.5 is 5.5 % (1 035 059 km2), area with SI ≥0.7 is 2.3 % (440 804 km2), and area with SI ≥0.9 is 1.1 % (208 701 km2). Minimum SI values in the northern HLD region are about 3 orders of magnitude smaller, indicating that the dust sources of this region greatly depend on weather conditions. Our spatial dust source distribution analysis modeling results showed evidence supporting a northern HLD belt, defined as the area north of 50∘ N, with a “transitional HLD-source area” extending at latitudes 50–58∘ N in Eurasia and 50–55∘ N in Canada and a “cold HLD-source area” including areas north of 60∘ N in Eurasia and north of 58∘ N in Canada, with currently “no dust source” area between the HLD and low-latitude dust (LLD) dust belt, except for British Columbia. Using the global atmospheric transport model SILAM, we estimated that 1.0 % of the global dust emission originated from the high-latitude regions. About 57 % of the dust deposition in snow- and ice-covered Arctic regions was from HLD sources. In the southern HLD region, soil surface conditions are favorable for dust emission during the whole year. Climate change can cause a decrease in the duration of snow cover, retreat of glaciers, and an increase in drought, heatwave intensity, and frequency, leading to the increasing frequency of topsoil conditions favorable for dust emission, which increases the probability of dust storms. Our study provides a step forward to improve the representation of HLD in models and to monitor, quantify, and assess the environmental and climate significance of HLD.
High Latitude Dust (HLD) contributes 5% to the global dust budget and active HLD sources cover > 500,000 km2. Potential areas with high HLD emission are calculated to cover >1 670 000 km2 (Meinander et al., in review). In Iceland, desert areas cover about 44,000 km2, but the hyperactive dust hot spots of area < 1,000 km2 are the most dust productive sources. Recent studies have shown that Icelandic dust travelled about 2,000 km to Svalbard and about 3,500 km to Balkan Peninsula. It estimated that about 7% of Icelandic dust can reach the high Arctic (N>80°). HLD was recognized as an important climate driver in Polar Regions in the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate in 2019. Long-term dust in situ measurements conducted in Arctic deserts of Iceland and Antarctic deserts of Eastern Antarctic Peninsula in 2018-2021 revealed some of the most severe dust storms in terms of particulate matter (PM) concentrations. While one-minute PM10 concentrations is Iceland exceeded 50,000 μgm-3, ten-min PM10 means in James Ross Island, Antarctica exceeded 120 μgm-3. The largest HLD field campaign was organized in Iceland in 2021 where 11 international institutions with > 70 instruments and 12 m tower conducted dust measurements (Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, Darmstadt, Berlin and Karlsruhe Universities, NASA, Czech University of Life sciences, Agricultural University of Iceland etc.). Preliminary results will be shown. Icelandic dust has impacts on atmosphere, cryosphere, marine and terrestrial environments. It decreases albedo of both glacial ice/snow as well as mixed phase clouds via reduction in supercooled water content. There is also an evidence that volcanic dust particles scavenge efficiently SO2 and NO2 to form sulphites/sulfates and nitrous acid. High concentrations of volcanic dust and Eyjafjallajokull ash were associated with up to 20% decline in ozone concentrations in 2010. In marine environment, Icelandic dust with high total Fe content (10-13 wt%) and the initial Fe solubility of 0.08-0.6%, can impact primary productivity and nitrogen fixation in the N Atlantic Ocean, leading to additional carbon uptake. There is also first HLD operational dust forecast for Icelandic dust available at the World Meteorological Organization Sand/Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (WMO SDS-WAS) at https://sds-was.aemet.es/forecast-products/dust-forecasts/icelandic-dust-forecast. In 2020-2021, a total of 71 long-range dust events was identified from Iceland reaching Faroe Islands, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Scandinavia. HLD research community is growing and Icelandic Aerosol and Dust Association (IceDust) has 100 members from 47 institutions in 18 countries (https://icedustblog.wordpress.com, including references to this abstract). Reference Meinander, O., Dagsson-Waldhauserova, P., et al.: Newly identified climatically and environmentally significant high latitude dust sources, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2021-963, in review, 2021.