Published on
Updated
Reading 1 min.
Since the beginning of September, clouds of sand have been arriving in France, carried by winds from northern Africa. Capable of turning the sky orange, is this sand dangerous for your health? Should we protect ourselves from it? The explanations of Liath Guetta, pulmonologist and member of the committee of experts of Doctissimo.
Sand dust from the Sahara flies over France. Driven by the winds, they covered part of the country with a layer of orange particles. This sand dust has been found in certain regions, such as Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes but also Vienne.
Air quality deteriorates radically when sand clouds pass through. This is particularly the case in the departments of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes but also Vienne, where PM10, the so-called “coarse” fine particles, are increasing.
What are the health consequences?
But is this sand dust dangerous for health? Asked about the subject last March, Dr Liath Guetta, pulmonologist and member of Doctissimo’s expert committee, told us: “It’s sand, so it’s particles that irritate the bronchi and the respiratory tract.”.
For the specialist, “people with asthma can, when inhaling these kinds of particles, develop symptoms such as a dry cough, because of the irritation they cause. And in people who already have certain respiratory pathologies, their disease may worsen” she warns.
Should you wear a mask outside?
To protect yourself from this sand in the air, should you wear a mask? For the pulmonologist, it’s useless. “The surgical mask is not filtering to protect against this type of particle. It would take an anti-pollution mask to be effective, but they are extremely expensive, it is not useful to get them for a few days“.