Summary

Transport of desert dust is a global phenomenon. For countries located in and downwind of arid regions, such as Europe, dust outbreaks may greatly increase the ambient air levels of particulate matter (PM), posing serious risks to the environment, property and human health. Due to its proximity to Sahara desert, Europe is frequently affected by desert dust intrusions, some of which may cause exceedance of the EU Air Quality PM limits.

Objectives of the workshop:

• Bring together the different actors interested in evaluating the mineral dust impacts on air quality.
• Discuss methodologies currently available to quantitatively report on contributions of this natural source to ambient PM levels in Europe, in compliance with the EU Air Quality Directive (2008/50/CE).
• Establish a direct communication channel between the stakeholders and scientific communities, to shape future research on user needs, thus bridging science and society.