While France is experiencing an exceptional heat episode, several departments in the South are facing a particularly worrying situation. In addition to the heatwave, health authorities must now face a major episode of atmospheric pollution linked to the arrival of an air mass laden with desert dust.
Ariège and the Hautes-Pyrénées have been placed on red pollution alert since Tuesday. Haute-Garonne, until then on orange alert, must also switch to the maximum level. In the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, Bouches-du-Rhône and Vaucluse are also affected by a marked deterioration in air quality.
Dust from the Sahara responsible for this episode
According to Atmo Occitanie, an organization responsible for monitoring air quality, this exceptional episode is directly linked to current weather conditions.
“Classically, when it is very hot, we have ozone pollution, but against all expectations we have an episode of particle sand with extremely high concentrations,” explained Dominique Tilak, general director of Atmo Occitanie to the Sud Ouest newspaper.
The cause: the mass of hot air currently present over France, which rises directly from northern Africa and carries with it significant quantities of desert dust.
At the same time, intense sunshine and high heat also promote the formation of ozone, a pollutant that is particularly irritating to the respiratory tract. In Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Atmosud warns of a “triple alert” associating ozone pollution, grass pollen and heatwave.
Fine particles, what exactly are they?
Atmospheric particles include microscopic dust present in the air. Among them, PM10, whose diameter is less than 10 micrometers, can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract.
Even smaller particles, called PM2.5, are considered of most concern.
“The smaller the particles, and therefore finer, the more dangerous they are for our health”recalled Dr Pierre Souvet, cardiologist and president of the Association Santé Environnement France (ASEF) in our pages.
What are the effects of fine particles on health?
For the majority of healthy people, occasional exposure to this dust generally remains limited to irritation of the respiratory tract. But in fragile people, the consequences can be more serious.
Pulmonologist Dr Liath Guetta recalls that it is sand dust and that “they are therefore irritating particles for the bronchi and respiratory tract.”
In some people, inhaling these particles can cause:
- A dry cough;
- Shortness of breath;
- Irritation of the bronchi;
- Breathing difficulty.
“People with asthma can, by inhaling these kinds of particles, develop symptoms such as a dry cough because of the irritation. And in people who already have certain respiratory pathologies, their illness can worsen.”underlines the specialist.
People suffering from asthma, chronic bronchitis or cardio-respiratory diseases must therefore exercise extra caution.
But the effects of pollution don’t stop at the lungs. Many studies also show an impact on the cardiovascular system. According to the cardiologist, this chronic exposure is also associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Scientific work also suggests a link between air pollution and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
How to protect yourself during this episode of pollution?
Faced with this double punishment of heatwave and pollution, health authorities recommend several simple actions.
Vulnerable people – the elderly, pregnant women, young children or patients suffering from chronic illnesses – should avoid unnecessary travel, particularly near major roads.
It is also advisable to:
- Limit intense physical activities outdoors;
- Avoid going out during the hottest and most polluted hours;
- Favor green spaces away from traffic;
- Limit car use when possible;
- Ventilate your home early in the morning when the concentrations of pollutants are lower;
- Monitor air quality reports regularly.