Cooperation with local stakeholders on air quality and health assessment
DUSTRISK:
As part of the collaborative excellence initiative funded by the Leibniz Association, DUSTRISK (A risk index for health effects of Mineral dust and associated Microbes), a network of institutions from Cabo Verde and Leibniz Institutes from Germany has been established.
The aim is to understand the health effects of mineral dust and associated microbes on the health of the citizens of Cabo Verde, especially in relation to respiratory and related diseases, and eventually to propose a warning and advisory tool that can be used by the meteorological service to alert the population to corresponding risks during dust events.
The network, coordinated by TROPOS, involves scientists from the University of Cabo Verde, the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), the Directorate of Environment (DNA), the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (INMG) and the Ministry of Health through the central hospitals in Praia and Mindelo. The Leibniz Institutes include the DSMZ in Braunschweig, the IUF in Düsseldorf and the FZB in Borstel.
The core of the three-year project is an intensive campaign that took place in Mindelo and Praia from 10 January to 20 February 2022. Dust samples were collected and analysed for their microbial and chemical composition, while at the same time citizens' health complaints were analysed in health centres and general hospitals.