DUST IN THE WIND: INTERCONTINENTAL TRANSPORT OF DESERT DUST IN THE ATMOSPHERE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH

Over a billion tons of mineral soil-derived dust are transported annually from the African Sahara/Sahel over the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas and Caribbean and across the Mediterranean into Europe. A similar system transports dust from the Gobi and Takla Makan deserts in western China across the Pacific, impacting the Hawaiian Islands, western United States, and in cases of large storms, Europe. The atmosphere is a global bridge connecting the continents.

Our research team is currently investigating the long-range transport of microorganisms and organic chemical pollutants associated with desert dust clouds via the integration of remote sensing, modeling, and laboratory assays. Using a suite of molecular and classical microbiology techniques, we are identifying culturable bacteria and fungi and screening for specific pathogens. Research results to date indicate that approximately 30% of the culturable microorganisms detected in the atmosphere during an African dust event are species capable of causing disease in plants, animals or immunocompromised humans. We are also collaborating with a medical doctor in Trinidad who has linked African dust events to hospital admissions for asthma. The transcontinental movement of microbes in African dust (as part of the global system of dust transport) has implications for ecosystem health (coral reefs), agriculture and livestock (food supply), and human health.