Zurich, 18 July 2026
A new analysis shows that the burden of Saharan dust in Europe increased between 2012 and 2021 in most regions, while values over Switzerland declined slightly.
The desert dust from the Sahara that is regularly carried to Europe increased between 2012 and 2021 across large parts of the continent. The increase is particularly pronounced in southern Italy and the eastern Mediterranean, where the annual rise is over 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter per year, according to the data. This is reported in analyses published in recent days.
On particularly dust-laden days, which occur around 46 times a year in these regions, the value rises on average to 9.7 micrograms per cubic meter – almost two-thirds of the World Health Organization's (WHO) annual limit value for particulate matter, which is 15 micrograms per cubic meter. The burden is thus concentrated on a few days a year on which air quality drops noticeably.
Southern Europe Particularly Affected
In southern Europe, the average annual burden from desert dust is 5.3 micrograms per cubic meter – more than double that in central and northern Europe. Increasing dryness in the Sahara and changing wind patterns are considered likely reasons why more dust is being transported northward.
The trend is also visible in regions further north. The increase extends as far as Scandinavia, albeit less pronounced than in southern Italy. Values there range between 0 and 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter per year, underscoring the continent-wide character of the phenomenon.