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A call is being made for greater collaboration between scientists and medical professionals to better understand the health impact of African dust on people in Barbados and the Caribbean.
The call comes from Head of the Barbados Atmospheric Chemistry Observatory and Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Miami, Dr Cassandra Gaston, as the organisation celebrates 60 years of measurements at its Ragged Point site in St Philip.
The site helps to provide information on the long-range transport of African dust to the Caribbean, North America and the Amazon.
Speaking during a media briefing at the observatory’s Ragged Point location, Dr Gaston said that while little could be done to prevent the dust from arriving, stronger partnerships could help provide the public with better advice on how to mitigate its effects.
Dr Gaston also revealed that the amount of dust currently in the atmosphere is no greater than usual, although researchers have observed increases in African dust primarily during the spring and winter periods.
