Saharan Dust and Childhood Respiratory Symptoms in Benin

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 19; no. 8; p. 4743
• Main Authors: McElroy, Sara, Dimitrova, Anna, Evan, Amato, Benmarhnia, Tarik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14.04.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Acute effects; Air Pollutants - adverse effects; Air Pollutants - analysis; Atmospheric aerosols; Benin; Case studies; Child; Child mortality; Children; Children & youth; Cough; Dust; Dust - analysis; Emissions; Exposure; Global positioning systems; GPS; Households; Humans; Infections; Microorganisms; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - analysis; Pneumonia; Poverty; Respiratory function; Risk; Rural areas; Satellites; Benin; Asia; Africa; children under-5; low-to-middle-income countries; respiratory outcomes; Saharan dust; dust; African dust
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084743

Mineral dust is one of the largest natural constituents of coarse particulate matter (PM ). Most of these dust emissions originate from northern Africa, and several hundred tera-grams of dust are emitted annually from this region. Previous evidence has linked dust PM to adverse respiratory outcomes in children. However, most of these studies have been from high-income countries (HICs) or examined dust from other regions of the world, mainly Asia. Evidence from low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs) in Africa is scarce. Respiratory infections are one of the leading causes of under-five mortality across the globe. However, there is a poignant disparity in studies examining these outcomes in children in the region where most dust is emitted. This study linked remotely sensed satellite data to a nationally representative survey to examine acute exposure to dust in children living in Benin using a time-stratified case-crossover analysis. We identified acute effects of exposure to dust and increased risk of cough in children under five. The effect of increased risk is strongest within two weeks of exposure and dissipates by four weeks. Children living in rural areas and households with lower income had a greater risk of adverse respiratory outcomes when exposed to dust. We could elucidate the specific period and conditions of increased risk for respiratory problems in children living in Benin.