SA farming's dust pollution problem

Frank Eckardt, associate professor of Environmental and Geographic Science at the University of Cape Town, writes that new research has shown persistent emission of dust from the western Free State. Unlike natural dust emission, these dust clouds, which are the result of soil loss, could influence air quality and threaten future food security. One solution would be to consider land-use changes to suppress dust.

- Frank Eckardt

Satellites have been sentinels in space since the 1960s, examining Earth to detect changing weather patterns, land use, deforestation, melting ice caps and fire patterns.

They have also been used to identify atmospheric dust emissions. Global inventories of the world’s major dust sources point to dry lake basins, many of which are in Africa. Etosha and the Makgadikgadi, for example, are large natural dust emitters in Southern Africa. Fine sediment from these basins can travel to the oceans, where it acts as a nutrient for primary marine organisms. Saharan dust from North African basins is even known to reach the Amazon and Caribbean, where it has a fertilising impact on the rain forest but is detrimental to coral.

Closer to the source, the dust can also affect flora, fauna and soil, especially if the dust is salty. The finest dust particles can be inhaled and may even enter the lungs and bloodstream.

UNNATURAL DUST EMISSIONS