Date Published: 06/07/2022
ARCHIVED - Lorca warns that Saharan dust is still causing health problems
ARCHIVED ARTICLE The Murcian city has released a series of recommendations to protect against the red dust particles
Levels of PM10 particles have been exceeding their daily limit in
Lorca, according to local Councillor for the Environment, José Luis Ruiz Guillén, with a value of 71 μg/m3, reaching level 1 Preventive, an increase that he has put down to the presence of a new air mass from the Saharan Desert carrying over dust and sand.
PM10 particles are those that have a diameter of 10 microns or less, and which can be inhaled into the lungs and cause adverse health effects. PM10 particles can come from a variety of sources, but in this case the reduction in air quality is being attributed to the Saharan dust, of the type that caused orange skies and stained everything red a few months ago.
The Councillor for the Environment in Lorca stated yesterday that “the high temperatures of recent days have led to an increase in these levels of suspended particles, a situation that could continue over the next few days as the presence of air masses of African origin is expected over the Iberian Peninsula… with dust concentrations in the range 10-80 μg/m3 over the southeast, which could cause an increase in the levels of PM10 collected in the Air Quality Network.”
Mr Ruiz Guillén recalled that “in these situations it is recommended to follow a series of preventive measures in order to avoid the increase of these particles.
“Among these recommendations is to control the cooling of homes and public buildings, thus minimising energy consumption, the shared use of private cars, the use of public transport when travelling, avoiding lighting fires and the use of park and ride facilities on the outskirts of the city, efficient driving avoiding sudden stops and starts, limiting speed, as well as other preventive measures related to health, such as not doing intense physical exercise outdoors.”
Image: Ayuntamiento de Lorca