Solution Title
Mitigating the Health Effects of Desert Dust Storms Using Exposure-Reduction Approaches
Solution Title (in English)
Sectors
Climate change adaptation, protection from pollutant agents, decision making support
Markets
Public health
Description
The demonstration project “MEDEA” aimsto provide the field-based evidence for the adoption of a strategic plan for mitigating the health effects of desert dust storm (DDS) events in South-Eastern Europe. Over the past decade, several studies have demonstrated that DDS in Mediterranean countries, originating mostly from the Sahara and Arabian Peninsula deserts, have been increasing in number and magnitude and linked it to desertification, climatic variability and global warming. EU legislation considers DDS impossible to prevent, implicitly harmless and discounts their contribution to daily and annual air quality standards of particulate matter up to 10 microns (PM10). However, there is increasing evidence from epidemiological studies which correlates exposure to PM10 during DDS with a significant increase in mortality and hospital admissions from cardiovascular and respiratory causes. Therefore, there is a pressing need for EU policies to reduce population exposures and increase individual, population and institutional resilience to the growing frequency and intensity of DDS.
More info on technological outputs on the project website: https://www.life-medea.eu/en/technology
