Since the beginning of time, dust from the "Dark Continent" has been carried by the prevailing winds toward North America. This natural phenomena has never been of serious concern until recently, however. It seems that prior theories about its effect are being revised, and it now appears to be a health hazard, especially to those with compromised immune systems and respiratory illnesses.
The dust, according to researchers, is carrying organisms that are foreign to our continent, and as a result, those at risk are being exposed to previously unknown virus strains, bacteria, mold spores and other contaminants that could be potentially hazardous. According to researchers, the dust constitutes, "up to one half of breathable particles in the air over Miami, Florida. African dust can on certain days push the total number of airborne particles above the limit set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Air Act," according to a soon to be published report by Joseph M. Prospero of the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. The report will appear in the July 20, 2001, issue of Journal of Geophysical Research, a publication of the American Geophysical Union.
We've known about the dangers of air pollution for years, however now we are faced with a new source that could adversely affect our health and welfare. Reports indicate that on some Caribbean islands, where the dust has been studied, respiratory problems have risen dramatically. The asthma rates have increased seventeen fold on many Caribbean islands during the past thirty years. These increases are thought to be a direct effect of the dust problem. The dust contains bacteria and fungi and more than 100 viable microbes. About 25 percent of these are plant pathogens. The problem is not limited to costal areas and islands, however. According to Prospero, the impact of African dust is comparable throughout the southeastern United States.
It is estimated that hundreds of millions of tons of soil are being blown away each year and, "hitchhiking along are bacteria, fungi, probably viruses and pesticides, even radiation." Dale Griffin, a microbiologist with the U.S. Geological Survey reports that, "One hundred-thirty colonies of bacteria and fungi taken from four air samples in the U.S. Virgin Islands are growing rapidly. Only four of the bacteria samples have been identified through genetic profiling of the organism's DNA." This fact alarms researchers who are working with illnesses which cause compromised immune systems, such as HIV or AIDS. Exposure to these contaminents could be potentially fatal, since the opportunistic diseases that these microbes carry would not easily treatable.
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