environment
Saharan dust not only clouds the air, but also forms a thin layer everywhere. Deposits are also a nuisance for drivers because the dust acts like sandpaper on paint, warns car wash operator Herbert Oberscheider. Accordingly, you need to be careful when doing laundry.
“You have to imagine it as if there was sand lying directly on the paint like sandpaper,” Oberscheider says. “So, definitely don't wash without chemicals, and definitely don't wash with just a little water,” warns the car wash operator. It is important to first soak the car well and then wash the dust off the paint with plenty of water.
There is no point in waiting for rain, regrets Oberscheider. “The sand sticks to the paint. You won't be able to get that out without dry cleaning and high pressure,” he says. You should also replace your cabin air filter regularly.
When weather conditions are right, strong winds transport desert dust from the Sahara to higher levels of the air. From there, the dust particles are transported to Austria over several days.
Desert sand can be fertilizer
Desert sand contains various substances that can theoretically promote plant growth. Once it reaches the ground, desert dust will fertilize nature. However, this effect is only minimally noticeable in this country, says Markus Nussbaumer, a consultant at Inatura.
“You can prescribe these nutrients through desert dust, if washed, as a homeopathic potion,” Nussbaumer says. He explains that the rate of twelve kilograms per hectare on an annual average is negligible.
Saharan dust phenomenon: health concerns
Desert dust that clouds the air and settles everywhere in a thin layer. Many people wonder if this sand from the desert causes health problems. But there are also other questions surrounding the phenomenon of desert dust.
There are no problems from a medical standpoint
From a medical point of view, desert dust is not a serious problem. For example, Guntram Winder, head of Dornbirn Hospital, reported that “there has been no increase in flow to the outpatient clinic due to desert dust.”
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